Dream Come True
by Samitballi
Summary: Isaac Lahey has always been lonely, but he's never given up on love. He's always known that one day the girl of his dreams would come around. That might just be the case when he meets the pretty new girl at school Ariadne. She's just as lonely as he is, but will his secret get in the way? Or could they maybe survive their loneliness together? Isaac/OC
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: This story is set during season 2 but it won't follow the plot of the show. Mainly, it's just about Isaac and Ariadne. They'll be mention of werewolves and kenima's of course, but that won't be the main focus. Clearly this is also an Isaac/OC fic lol but there are hints of Stiles/Erica Scott/Allison and even Jackson/Lydia. I just kind of throw it all in there ;)

This is the first piece of Teen Wolf fiction I've ever posted! Please be gentle, but honesty is my policy! Reviews keep me going and currently I need a lot of motivation to keep writing this. I really hope you guys enjoy this little piece of writing. I've had this idea bouncing around in my head for a while, so giving it to you means a lot. I hope you like what you read!

Enjoy :)

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Isaac Lahey's locker door opened with a groan as the rusty hinges crackled with the weight of the blue metal door. Isaac hadn't been doing so well in school as of late but he was doing his best. It was hard to concentrate with everything else going on in his life. If things went the way he wanted them to, he could spend all his time training and fighting to protect Beacon Hills instead of studying and learning from teachers who hate their students almost as much as their students hate them. But alas, he has to keep his grades up in order to stay on the lacrosse team and not be held back. The only redeeming thought Isaac had was at least he was doing better than McCall. It wound be an act of God if that kid made it through high school. Isaac envied Scott though, not because of his failing grades or his inability to multitask, but because he had a reason to stay in Beacon Hills. Isaac chose to stay in Beacon Hills with the hope that joining Derek's pack would finally give him the family he so desperately wanted. But things weren't going so well.

Gathering his books and slamming his locker shut, Isaac turned towards his next class. He was running late so the halls were void of people or sound. But as Isaac walked down the hall he heard a backpack drop to the linoleum just around the corner. He heard a sigh and the odd sound of crinkling paper so instead of heading into his History class Isaac turned the corner to investigate the sound. What he found was a young girl slumped over on the floor, her head in her hands. He could tell she was pretty without even looking at her face. She had that beautiful kind of aura around her. He approached her slowly and sat down next to her; not wanting to sneak up and scare her.

"Are you okay?" Isaac asked quietly but the girl jumped anyway. She looked up with a shocked expression but Isaac's face was a mirror of her surprise. Because even though he thought she'd be pretty, he didn't know she was _that_ pretty. She had long wavy hair the color of a winter night and her eyes were the color of the Caribbean Sea. He didn't know someone could have such beautiful teal colored eyes. Her skin was fair too, like ivory or pearls, and her lips and cheeks were flushed pink.

"Sorry," he mumbled once he'd gotten his bearings. "I didn't mean to scare you."

She smiled shyly and Isaac couldn't help but smile back at her. "It's okay I think I'll live. But is there any chance you could point me towards my next class?" she asked but Isaac was only half listening. He was mesmerized but the light bell like sound of her voice. How was she real?

"Which class are you looking for?" he asked and she handed him the school map he heard her crumble. "Mrs. Keller's class is actually right in front of you," he said with a chuckle as he pointed to the door right across from them.

With an embarrassed giggle, the girl stood up. "Thank you," she mumbled self-consciously. "I'm Ariadne by the way."

Isaac stood up as well and introduced himself with a smile. He wanted to ask how she'd gotten such an exotic name but he didn't have time as she smiled and walked through Mrs. Keller's classroom door. He just stared at the doorframe an extra minute, not a care in the world that he was extremely late for his own class.

He couldn't imagine a girl like that could exist. It was as if she'd come straight out of his imagination or a dream he'd once had. Ariadne. Maybe staying _was_ a good idea.

Running a hand through his hair, Isaac headed off to his class and snuck in the back. He somehow managed to keep his focus all day despite meeting the girl of his dreams, Ariadne. He had to remember to look up the meaning of her name sometime. It was so unusual and pretty it had to have a great meaning. Isaac sat through class after class, continually disappointed by not sharing a single class with Ariadne. He looked for her at lunch but couldn't find her so he sat with Erica and Boyd as usual.

"Isaac! Did you hear a word I just said?" Erica's voice cut through Isaac's mind and he turned his head to look at her. She was staring at him expectantly but he hadn't heard a word she'd said. Boyd was beside her, an amused expression on his face as he watched Isaac shrug, looking more innocent than ever.

"I asked if you've talked to Derek recently? He's still pissed about our last training and won't talk to me." Erica replied, biting into a French fry with a little too much force.

"I'm pretty sure he's more pissed about you attacking him with your lips." Isaac corrected and she shot him an un-amused glare. "He said he wants to try again today after school."

"Don't you have lacrosse practice after school?" Boyd asked and Isaac nodded.

"I told him I'd be late but I don't think he was listening to me." Isaac mumbled, throwing back the rest of his soda. He gathered the textbooks he'd been studying and his empty food tray and stood up. He had a free period next that he hoped to spend alone somewhere he could get a little extra studying done. As cliché as it was, Isaac often sat under the bleachers doing homework during his free periods. Every now and then he'd go do something with Erica or sometimes Boyd but usually he was alone. And for the most part he liked it that way. He enjoyed the silence and exclusivity.

It was easier to get outside if Isaac cut through the boys locker room and through the pool. So he gathered his books and headed that way, only to stop dead in his tracks when he caught sight of Ariadne by the bleachers by the water. She was in a crisp white bathing suit with her hair braided to the side. Isaac couldn't help but stare as she dove effortlessly into the pool.

"Suddenly thinking about joining the swim team, huh?" Erica teased, sneaking up from behind him. He heard her coming of course but couldn't stop his ogling in time. Shooting Erica and dirty look, he walked towards the bleachers where he sat down with his backpack.

"Is that the new girl?" Erica asked as she sat down next to him, pointing to Ariadne. "I heard she lives alone like she declared independence from her parents or something. She has a weird name too like...Ariel...or Aries...or was it Aaron...?"

"It's Ariadne," Isaac corrected curtly. Erica looked at him with a wide smile.

"You've met her? So what's she like?" Erica asked, propping her elbow on her knee and placing her chin in her hand. Isaac gave her a sour look as he shrugged.

"I need to study, Erica. I'm gonna fail every class with the way Derek's been working us lately." he tells her and she backs off almost immediately because she's having the same problem. Though her grades didn't show it the way Isaac's did, she had trouble keeping up and focusing too.

"It's kind of difficult to keep up with school work when you're fighting your bloodlust every full moon." she mumbled angrily, running a hand through her curly blond hair. She leaned back against the bleachers, looking around at everyone. Her eyes lingered a little too long at Stiles, earning a teasing grin from Isaac.

One night after a long day of training and the two of them were lounging around the subway station healing, Erica confessed to Isaac her long-standing crush on the socially awkward teenager. Isaac laughed for a good ten minutes before she dug her claws into his leg, effectively shutting him up. He swore he wouldn't tell anyone but told her she could do so much better than Scott's bumbling best friend. Though Isaac genuinely liked Stiles; the kid certainly wasn't fit for a girl like Erica. Erica needed someone to ring her out and challenge her every day. She bores easily and is a lot to handle. Ever since her alpha bite makeover the girl is the epitome of a handful.

"What you can ogle the new girl but I can't appreciate Stiles's from afar?" she snapped, tossing her hair over her shoulder. Isaac chuckled at her, grabbing his French textbook out of his book bag.

"At least Ariadne is beautiful," he teased playfully but Erica sat up straighter.

"Stiles is beautiful too! Just in a different way...and she's not _that_ beautiful." Erica retorted, crossing her arms over her chest. They watched Ariadne emerge from the pool and run her hands through her hair, smiling at the swim coach who was clearly impressed by her times.

"Actually she is," Isaac mumbled, smiling because Ariadne's eyes were so similar to the color of the pool water. He could feel Erica's eyes on him as the jealousy started to bubble up inside her. She loved Isaac like a brother but she didn't like people to think other girls were prettier than she was. Ever since Derek gave her the bite, she literally had to beat the boys off with a stick. Everyone was falling all over themselves just to get near her and she loved the feeling. Lydia used to be top bitch but now that slot belonged to Erica and she wasn't about to let Ariadne take it from her.

Isaac watched Erica's face get red and he sighed dramatically. "Must you always be so easily enraged?" he questioned rhetorically. "I'm sure your title still upholds, Erica."

Of course he knew what she was thinking; Isaac was her confidant. She told him things she'd never told anyone else; like how much she coveted her title at school. She'd been nothing for so many years; she loved being special. She shot Isaac a lingering glare before getting up and walking away. Isaac watched multiple guys stare at her as she strutted out the doors. He rolled his eye, wondering what gave then the right to stare at her like that. She'd never actually go out with half the guys that stared at her but she sure did love making them drool. Isaac kind of felt bad for some of them; they thought they might have a chance. But boy were they wrong. Everyone had their sights set on Erica but Erica had her sights set on Stiles. Kind of like Isaac couldn't take his eyes off Ariadne.

He was trying not to be creepy- she was in a bathing suit after all- but she was just too pretty to look away. She was on the slightly shorter side, standing at probably 5'3 at the tallest, but she had incredible legs. They were lean and strong and surprisingly long for her height. He watched her grab a towel and dry off, running the cotton up and down her legs and through her hair. But when she turned to toss the towel in the return bin she smacked right into a shirtless Jackson.

"Sorry!" she quickly mumbled, blushing as her hands touched Jackson's wet chest. He smirked at her, reaching a hand out to steady her as she stumbled backwards. Knowing what Jackson really was, Isaac couldn't help but stand in attention at the sight of their conversation.

"You okay?" he asked and she nodded quickly. "You're Ariadne, right? I'm Jackson. I couldn't help but notice your times were pretty impressive today. Are you thinking about joining the swim team?"

Ariadne shrugged, mumbling, "I haven't decided; I used to swim at my old high school but I didn't think I would here."

"We could definitely use you. Don't tell anyone I said this, being the captain and all, but we suck." He told her, leaning in close. She smiled but blushed at how close he was. She'd seen him in one of her other classes and knew his name from the other students but she hadn't talked to him yet. In fact, she hadn't talked to many students yet.

"I'll think about it," she replied, taking in a deep breath. God he really was unbelievably attractive. Then again, most of the guys in Beacon Hills seemed to be equally as insanely hot.

"Good," Jackson said with a wink, lightly touching her shoulder with a smile before walking away. Ariadne could literally feel the bright red shade of her cheeks as she giggled and buried her face in the wet towel in her hands. This sure was an interesting high school, she thought to herself as she continued her trek to the towel return bin. She pitched the towel inside and skipped into the girl's locker room. She tossed one final glance out to the pool, feeling someone's eyes on her. There were multiple teenage idiots ogling her because "boys will be boys" but she caught one pair of eyes set on her face not her body.

She recognized him as the boy who showed her to Mrs. Keller's class. Isaac. When she first saw him, the first thing she noticed was his strong jaw line and adorable sliver/blue eyes. Looking back at him again, she had to smile. There was something about him that made her feel comfortable. Like she could say or do anything and he would still be there. Even though she knew nothing about him, she felt close to Isaac. He had a pretty face and a sincere smile. She definitely wanted to get to know him.

Isaac blushed at getting caught staring at her but she just smiled at him. Everything inside Ariadne told her to go over and sit with him but she was dripping wet and standing awkwardly in the entrance to the girl's locker room in a bathing suit. So instead, she headed into the locker room with a smile.

She dried off and changed back into her ripped jeans, black v-neck tee shirt and slipped her arms into her grey sweater. She was putting on her multiple rings and her necklace when a pretty strawberry blond walked right up to her and introduced herself as Lydia Martin.

"You're Ariadne, right?" she asked, tilting her head to the side and giving an award winning smile. Ariadne smiled back at her, nodding. "I saw your swimming; you should try out for the swim team. Lord knows we need the help."

Ariadne chuckled. "Yeah, Jackson said the same thing. I don't know if…" she started to say before Lydia cut her off.

"Jackson? Jackson Wittemore?" she asked and Ariadne nodded slowly. "When did you talk to him?"

"Umm…like a second ago. He asked if I was going to join the swim team too but like I told him, I don't know. I'd have to think about it…"

"Well then," Lydia interrupted again, her smile fading from polite to annoyed. "Aren't you special?" she asked rhetorically, flipping her curled hair over her shoulder dramatically and strutting away.

Ariadne watched her walk away with a curious expression, half offended, half confused. "Don't mind her," a girl's voice spoke from behind Ariadne so she turned around to see a pretty brunette. "Lydia and Jackson used to date last semester; she hasn't really gotten over it. I'm Allison by the way."

Ariadne shook hands with the pretty teenager, introducing herself. "I don't know why everyone's obsessing over me joining the swim team. What's the big deal?" she asked as she slipped into her brown ankle boots and ran some leave-in conditioner through her hair. She was lucky enough to have naturally wavy hair that dried quickly, however the chlorine would make it feel a bit greasy when it dried.

"Our swim team sucks, that's why. Everyone's all about the lacrosse team right now but we're still highly aware of how terrible our swim team is." Allison replied with a chuckle, tossing her backpack over her shoulder and slamming her locker door shut. Ariadne followed suit and they walked out of the locker room together.

"Lacrosse? I don't think I even know what the hell that is." She said with a chuckle and Allison joined in.

"It's the only redeeming feature in this school. You should come to practice after school, I can teach you a little about it if you want." Allison told her and Ariadne agreed. They had to split up for class but they agreed to meet by the bleachers on the field after school. Ariadne walked to her next class with a smile. At least she was making friends.

Eventually the final bell rang and everyone took off in a mad dash to get on with their lives. Ariadne chucked her backpack and extra books in her Chevy Cruze and headed to the lacrosse field. As she was walking her cell phone began to ring in her pocket so she pulled it out and started to smile.

"Dad!" she answered excitedly after hitting the answer button on her iPhone and holding it to her face. She smiled from ear to ear, relief flooding her system with such power she felt out of breath for a minute.

"Hey baby girl, how was your first day of school?" he asked, similar relief in his tone. Ariadne sat down on the curb, taking deep breaths. Just getting to hear her father's voice was already the best part of her week.

"It was fine, Dad." She told him, surprised at how honest her words were. "We just got out a few minutes ago; I'm gonna go watch the lacrosse practice with some friends."

She could hear the smile in her father's voice. "What the hell is lacrosse?" he asked and they laughed. "I'm glad it went well, baby girl. I only have a few minutes to talk but I wanted to check in. Have you been sleeping alright? I know you don't do well in new places."

Ariadne sighed. "I sleep just fine," she lied. "Mark and Taylor are really nice for letting me stay with them while you're deployed. Their house is really nice; I just miss my bed."

"I know, baby girl but this is…" her father started to say before Ariadne cut him off.

"Important, I know. I just wish you could stay here- stay safe." She said with a sad sigh. The emotions building in her chest brought tears to her eyes but she rubbed the sleeve of her sweater against her eyes to stop the tears from flowing.

"I wish I could too, but I need to be here. In fact…I need to be somewhere else...I gotta go. I'll call again when I get the chance and you can tell me what the hell lacrosse is. I love you baby girl." Ariadne could hear the commotion around her dad as he spoke. She sighed again; the phone calls never lasted long enough for either of them.

"Stay safe in the sandbox, Dad. I love you more." She replied.

"Love you most," he said with an audible smile before she heard fuzz and eventually a click. Slowly letting the phone slide from her face, Ariadne wouldn't let the tears fall but they desperately wanted to. All she wanted was to go home- to her real home in Huston- curl up on her bed and cry. But she couldn't do that; she needed to be strong. Her father was in Iraq fighting for her freedom, the least she could do was making it through high school. The least she could do was man-up and go watch a lacrosse game with Allison. Sure, her smile wouldn't be genuine until her father got home and sure she wished she weren't in Beacon Hills, but she'd at least try to enjoy her time here. She'd give it her all. Because that's what her dad wanted her to do.

So Ariadne stood up defiantly and strode over to the lacrosse field where Allison was already waiting for her on the bleachers. She waved Ariadne over and scooted over so she had a place to sit.

"So explain what's happening cause I have no idea." Ariadne said with a chuckle as she sat down next to Allison and pulled the sleeves of her sweater over her fingers. Used to Texas weather, the cool breeze was killing Ariadne.

Allison smiled and began to explain the details of the sport. She knew more than Ariadne expected her to but was glad someone knew, because Ariadne was absolutely lost. She watched for a good twelve minutes before she finally realized Jackson was on the team.

"I can't see a damned facial feature with those masks." Ariadne replied as Alison laughed. She could only make out the general form of each of the players under their heavy padding.

"Number eleven is Scott McCall. Number six is our goalie Danny. Number twenty-one is Greenberg and you obviously know Jackson. Oh and fourteen is Isaac Lahey and number…" Allison said, pointing to each member of the team she listed.

"Isaac?" Ariadne cut in. Alison looked at her curiously, nodding.

"You know him?"

Ariadne shrugged indifferently. "He just helped me get to one of my classes this morning." She mumbled, staring at Isaac's back as he stood in line on the field. Though she wasn't too sure what they were doing, it seemed as if Isaac was a good player. From what she could tell, he was something of a powerhouse. She never would've guessed he was that strong. She watched him play, mesmerized by how fluently he maneuvered. The one Alison pointed out as Scott McCall moved with surprising grace as well.

When practice was over, the players filed off the field to the locker room but number twenty-four stumbled over to the girls with a smile. "Hey Allison," he greeted then turned to smile at Ariadne.

"Hi," Ariadne said, introducing herself.

"Like the Greek goddess," he replied and Ariadne's jaw dropped open with shock.

"Oh my God, yes!" she said excitedly. This was officially the first time since the time she was born that someone knew the real meaning of her name.

"Don't get to impressed, I just really like _Inception_." He replied with a smile and she laughed.

"I'll take it anyway,"

"I'm Stiles by the way," He reached out a hand to shake hers and she chuckled while doing so. They exchanged smiles before Stiles asked if he could talk to Allison a minute. Ariadne stood up and excused herself.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Allison. Nice to meet you, Stiles." She said politely, smiling at them as she began to walk away. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Stiles sit next to Allison as they inclined their heads towards each other and talked quietly.

"We have a huge problem!" she heard him whisper but couldn't hear anything after that. Ariadne dug around in her pockets for her car keys as she walked back to the parking lot. So far, the day had gone really well. She met great people and had a pleasant time. Maybe it wouldn't be too hard living in Beacon Hills.

As Ariadne unlocked her car door and went to get inside, she caught sight of Isaac exiting the school. He was in a real rush as he ran through the parking lot. He grabbed his bike off the bike rack and leapt on, pedaling like mad out of the parking lot. She chuckled at how hasty his movements were. Wherever he was going it must've been important because he dropped his cell phone in the process but didn't notice or stop pick it up. So Ariadne walked over to retrieve it. It was a cheep disposable phone but she was sure he'd need it. So she put it in the middle console of her car and started the engine. She smiled as she pulled out of the parking lot. Now she had a reason to seek him out tomorrow.

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I hope you guys enjoyed chapter one! Stay tuned for chapter two, which I hope to post soon! I have a Tumblr account dedicated to my writing (danceswithwoves10 .tumblr. com) and I also have a Polyvore account with outfits for most of my fics (samitballi. polyvore. com) so feel free to check those out! Thanks again :)

{Ariadne is the name of a Greek goddess but I got the name from the movie _Inception _(like Stiles) but she doesn't have a last name yet...any ideas?}


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Big grand THANK YOU to everyone who read and reviewed :) It means a lot. I've been writing this story for a while but I've been trying to take my time and make it perfect. If there are any mistakes or plot holes or whatever, feel absolutely free to tell me. I won't take it personally :) Constructive criticism and reviews are amazing!

Enjoy! :)

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Ariadne was staying with family friends for the duration of her father's military deployment but she didn't feel comfortable there. It was an unreasonably large home with four spare bedrooms; one of which she would occupy. It was a soft lilac color with pure white accents so none of Ariadne's decorations from home quite matched. She had a knack for interior design so she was thrilled Mark and Taylor we're going to let her decorate however she pleased. She just couldn't change the color of the walls. So after school she went home to finish her decorating.

Mark and Taylor both worked weird hours so neither was there when Ariadne arrived home but there was a note on the fridge from Taylor saying there was a note on the counter saying she should feel free to do as she pleased. They didn't have children and didn't really like children but they offered to take Ariadne into their home because they felt bad and they figured she'd be easier to keep track of than a toddler. Ariadne didn't mind their lack of experience with kids; she was more independent than most kids her age anyway. So she grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge and headed up to her room. She had homework to do but she needed a break from learning so instead she plugged in her iHome and tuned into some Dead Mans Bones as she began rearranging her room.

After a few hours she heard the front door shut and went down to greet Taylor and Mark. She turned off her music and skipped down the hall, yelling hello as she stumbled down the stairs.

"How was your first day of school?" Mark asked pleasantly as he removed his jacket and hung it on a peg by the front door. He worked at the sheriff's station so he had a waist holster for his gun that he hung next to his jacket. Ariadne was comfortable around guns; in fact she knew a good deal about them. Her dad made sure she knew how to protect herself well.

"It was fine; I met a few really nice kids. I might even have a few friends already." Ariadne replied as she followed Mark into the kitchen where he got a beer from the fridge. Ariadne really admired Mark; he was a good guy. Stand up citizen, great husband to Taylor and had a million amazing stories from his wild life.

"That's great, we knew you'd make friends real quick." Taylor said with a smile as she began gathering ingredients for dinner. Taylor was a counselor so she picked up on behavior quickly. Ariadne honestly didn't know how Mark put up with it. She knew when you were lying as soon as the words left your lips and she could shrink your head better than anyone else.

"Of course you would make friends. You're a pretty young girl; I'm sure you have plenty of 'friends' here." Mark teased, using quotation marks and nudging Ariadne playfully. She laughed and shoved his arm.

"The last thing I need is a boyfriend right now. I'm just trying to survive high school I don't need a relationship to complicate things." Ariadne retorted with a sigh. Mark laughed, taking a pull from his beer.

"I said nothing about a relationship. I know how you teenagers are; one and done." Mark said and Ariadne's jaw dropped to the counter. Taylor harshly reprimanded her husband for his inappropriate comment.

"That's you, Mark, I'm nothing like that." Ariadne retorted with a chuckle. Mark threw his arms up I defense.

"All I'm saying is you're a pretty girl and there's no doubt in my mind the guys at your school have noticed." he said honestly. "Now as for me, I'm gonna drop my ass on the couch and hopefully catch the end of the Mats game. Call me if you need help with dinner, Tay."

Ariadne watched him walk off with a smile. He really was great entertainment. "I don't care if the guys see me," Ariadne mumbled when Mark left the room. "I'm not ready for a relationship right now."

Taylor smiled. "You say that now but once a cute guy catches your eye, you'll change your mind real quickly. Have you met the Wittemore's son yet? Oh what's his name...is it Jackson? Yeah I think its Jackson; he's a cutie! Have you met him yet?" Taylor rambled as she went about making risotto for dinner.

"Yeah I met Jackson today; he wants me to join the swim team." Ariadne replied as she helped Taylor chop vegetables. "Jackson is very attractive but his ex still has her claws in him. And I certainly don't want to cross her!"

"I think joining the swim team is a wonderful idea! They play lacrosse mostly at that school but their swim team could really use your talent." Taylor replied with a smile. For a counselor, she could be a little scatter brained.

"Does everyone just know the swim team sucks?" Ariadne chuckled. "I'll think about it. I was hoping to focus on my studies this year. The lacrosse team is really good though, I stayed for their practice today."

"Are they good? I don't follow it much. I know Jackson's on that team too!" Taylor said with a wide smile. Ariadne rolled her eyes and handed over the chopped vegetables and dismissed herself from the conversation. She went to get her homework then sat in the living room with Mark. She got two subjects done before she stopped paying attention to her studies and started watching the baseball game on the screen. Then eventually she just put her books away and immersed herself in a conversation with Mark about how the designated hitter ruined the essence of baseball.

"If you two are done arguing, dinner is ready." Taylor said some time later as she stood behind the couch. Ariadne scrambled to get off the floor where she was sitting at the coffee table with her work. She ran her stuff upstairs to her room but the shrill ring of a cell phone stopped her from heading right back downstairs.

She grabbed her iPhone but it wasn't the phone ringing so she looked around the room. She didn't have a landline in the room and it was definitely coming from her room. Looking around with a confused expression, she couldn't figure out where it was coming from until she grabbed her backpack and pulled Isaac's phone out of the pocket. The phone was ringing with the phone call of someone named Boyd. For a minute she considered answering the call but it disconnected before she made up her mind. So she slid the phone back into her backpack and headed back downstairs wondering if Isaac was freaking out without his phone. He didn't seem like the kind of teen who needed his phone 24/7 but maybe he was expecting that call; maybe it was important. There wasn't much she could do about it but she put a red bracelet on her wrist to remind her to return it to him.

XXX

Derek laid into Isaac when he showed up late for training. He explained he had lacrosse practice but Derek ranted a few minutes about how surviving is more important than some stupid high school lacrosse team. Though Isaac agreed, he couldn't regret going to practice. Not only had he done his best all season but also Ariadne showed up to watch. He wasn't entirely sure if she knew he was on the field considering how hard it must be to tell them apart when you don't know their numbers. But he could've sworn he caught her watching him a few times. She sat on the bleachers with Allison and he could hear the girls talking about the game. Allison clearly knew a lot more than Ariadne but she caught on quickly. Isaac had to focus on the game so he missed bits of their conversation but he was happy she came. Just showing up made Isaac want to play better.

He didn't realize he lost his phone until he was sitting in the subway cart doing homework and it wasn't in his backpack. He panicked for a minute but it wasn't as if he ever used the thing. The only time it rang was if Erica or Boyd needed something and the only other person he called was Derek. Erica was next to him, Derek was in a different cart and Boyd went home hours ago so he didn't care too much at the loss of his phone. No one would need him tonight anyway.

Erica sighed heavily beside him, throwing her head back against the metal wall with a muted thud. She growled a curse under her breath as she shoved her math homework off her lap. "How am I supposed to concentrate on algebra when Jackson is just wandering around town killing people?" She grumbled rhetorically. Isaac sighed, struggling with the same problem himself.

"At least you're caught up." Isaac retorted sourly. "I missed so much when my dad died. Geeze, who knew being a fugitive would cost me so much." He chuckled at his own pun and continued his work but every few minutes Erica would let out a groan or a growl and she'd periodically click her pen against the binding of her notebook creating a clicking sound Isaac quickly grew to despise.

"Cut it out!" he finally yelled. "You're not helping my concentration here, Erica." She looked up with one eyebrow raised and he knew he'd started trouble. With a flick of the wrist, Erica slammed her books shut and flung them off her lap. Isaac rolled his eyes dramatically as she crawled across the subway cart floor over to him. "You know this floor is disgusting," he mumbled sarcastically as she put on her best sultry look just for him.

"I have a better way to break your concentration." She purred sexily, smirking at him. He looked back at her evenly, all too used to Erica's sultry behavior. At first it shocked him and he wasn't too sure how to react but given a few days and Isaac learned to tune her out. Boyd tended to flirt back with her sometimes so she usually threw her best game at him rather than Isaac. Isaac once pinned her against the wall in frustration, but she mistook it for excitement. Erica had control over every other guy and it sometimes irritated her that she didn't have the same effect on the rest of her pack mates.

"Not tonight, Erica." Isaac grumbled, focusing on his homework. Erica perched herself next to him, lightly playing with his hair and smirking sexily at him.

"Oh c'mon, Isaac, you know you want to." She whispered, close to his ear.

"Actually, Erica, I don't." he retorted sharply and she giggled in his ear. She stuck her tongue out and licked his neck, causing him to flinch and swat her away. "Get off, Erica! I need to study. Besides I'm still sore from training."

Erica sighed delicately, pulling the sleeve of her leather jacket up her arm a little to reveal the bruises covering her skin. "Me too," she admitted, studying the shape of Derek's hand on her forearm. "That's why I'm still here. My mom is starting to get a little suspicious."

"You staying the night?" Isaac asked curiously, peeking at her from the corner of his eye. Derek and Isaac slept in the subway station because neither had homes but Erica and Boyd stayed with them every now and then. Erica was usually the last to agree to the little sleepovers but occasionally they were necessary. If word got around that the hunters were getting too close, they'd sleep together as a pack for safety. With the news of the Kanima, the sleepovers became more and more frequent. They could all sense how threatened Derek felt by the thing and they wouldn't be joking if they said they were scared. Especially when they found out the damned thing has a paralytic toxin able to render you completely useless for a bit.

Erica leaned into Isaac and rested her head against his shoulder. "Yeah, I think I might. Can I sleep in here with you?" she replied, looking up at him from under her eyelashes.

Isaac smiled, saying, "Sure; you can even have my bed." with a chuckle as he gestured to the lumpy all mattress they were sitting on. She didn't look too pleased but sleeping on that old ratty mattress was better than putting up with all of her mother's questions.

"You know what my mom asked me yesterday?" she asked with a smile after a minute of silence. Isaac asked what, enjoying this side of Erica so much more than the frisky snarky side. "If Derek was my sugar daddy." She said and they busted up laughing.

"Like you would need a sugar daddy. You're far more inventive," Isaac laughed, leaning back against Erica. Checking his watch he realized how late it was, so he tossed his books to the side and laid down next to Erica, already dozing off.

After ten minutes, Erica turned onto her back and sighed. "Why don't you date, Isaac?" she asked curiously, peeking at him from the corner of her eye. She caught him shrug as he turned on his back as well. "The rest of us do; at least Boyd and I do."

Isaac thought about it for a minute. "I've never liked the idea of one night stands and I've never had the…_lifestyle_ for serious dating." He finally murmured after a minute. "I wouldn't mind dating though. I don't want to end up like Derek…" Isaac let his sentence trail off as the likelihood of that outcome hit him hard in the gut. He had no one.

"You won't," Erica said confidently and Isaac turned a curious eye to her. "You've got me." She said sweetly, curling into his side. Isaac smiled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and closing his eyes.

"I'll never be short of entertainment that's for sure." He teased lightheartedly as they both began to drift off to sleep. Erica slapped his stomach with a chuckle as sleep took over and they both passed out together. However they were no longer together on the mattress when Isaac awoke. He was face down on the dirty metal floor while Erica lay lazily sprawled across the entire mattress. Grumbling his displeasure, he searched the trolley for the reason his sleep was disturbed. Erica's phone had been buzzing in the pocket of her leather jacket for the past hour and Isaac finally gave in and woke up. He pulled it free of the leather and turned the screen on. She had three missed calls from her mother and two missed texts from the same culprit. Isaac rolled his eyes as he opened the last text and replied, 'Relax I stayed at a friends last night. I'll be home after school.' as if he were Erica.

"What are you doing with my phone?" Erica exclaimed, snatching the phone from his hands and examined his handy work. She had to admit, his written words were very similar to those she would've sent herself. Shortly after waking up Erica headed home to change for school while Isaac got ready for the day himself. He was about to head off to school when he noticed Derek lifting weights in the corner.

"Hey, I'm sorry I missed training yesterday." Isaac mumbled as he approached his Alpha. Derek was effortlessly benching twice what any Olympic heavy weight could lift.

"Don't say you're sorry, Isaac," Derek replied, sitting up on the bench and wiping his hands on his dirty jeans. "It makes you sound weak."

Isaac smiled down at Derek, mumbling, "I'll try to remember that," before rushing off to school on his bike. It was in everyone's best interest that they all keep a low profile but it would be nice to have a car. Derek would occasionally drive him to school in the Camaro while Erica's parents drove her and Boyd took the bus. None of them were all too well off but even Stiles had his Jeep. It just would be nice not to ride to high school every morning on a dinky bicycle.

Isaac managed to arrive before the first bell so he took his time locking his bike to the bike rack. He searched around the stand and the front door looking for his cell phone in case he dropped it there but he couldn't find it.

"Looking for this?" Ariadne's voice came from behind him so Isaac swiveled around, smiling as he saw Ariadne holding his cell phone flat in the palm of her hand. She looked even prettier this morning, her hair twisted into an intricate braid and a light grey makeup on her eyes. She was wearing a simple blue denim dress with black tights, brown ankle boots and a grey sweater jacket over top with her brown leather backpack slung over her shoulder casually. And every time she moved her hand, the multiple bangles lining her littler wrists jingled melodiously.

"Thanks, how did you find it?" Isaac asked as he took the phone from her hand. For a minute their fingers touched and he felt like an idiot for staring at their hands. He didn't know about her, but he certainly felt a spark between them as their skin touched lightly.

"You dropped it yesterday after practice. I didn't want it to get stolen or ruined so I took it home. I hope you don't mind." She said sweetly, looking more innocent than imaginable. They walked up to the school doors together but Isaac was paying closer attention to the color of her eyes rather than where he was going.

"I don't mind at all. Thanks," he replied as they walked through the double doors together. They just stood there for a minute longer, not wanting to leave but not knowing what to say.

"I didn't know you're on the team. You guys did really well…I think. I don't actually know anything about lacrosse." She said with a chuckle and Isaac smiled.

"It's not that complicated; I could show you some time." He blurted out before he could stop himself. But luckily Ariadne smiled up at him.

"That would be nice, I'd like that," she stated with her dazzling smile before the first bell rang and the students around them started to file into their classes.

Ariadne turned in the direction of her locker but Isaac yelled over the crowd, "How about tonight? We don't have practice but meet me on the field after school and I'll show you what lacrosse is all about."

Ariadne nodded slowly, fiddling nervously with the strap of her backpack. "It's a date," she replied before disappearing into the crowd. Isaac smiled in the direction he'd last seen her, recanting her words in his head. _It's a date. A date._ He couldn't wipe the satisfied smile from his face.

"You look ridiculous," Erica stated bluntly, literally coming out of nowhere. "What are you staring at?"

Isaac composed himself but didn't wipe the smile from his face. "I was looking at Ariadne." He replied as she followed him to his locker. "In fact, I'll be looking at her again after school during our date."

Erica's heels literally skidded on the floor as she came to a barreling stop. "What?" she asked, astounded. Isaac just repeated his earlier sentence with a smile, grabbing his books and heading to class. "You asked her out?"

"Yes, I did." Isaac said confidently. "And I don't want to see you anywhere near the lacrosse field after school today, got it?"

Erica smiled. "Of course not,"

* * *

I love Erica _so_ much! I needed some fantastic non romantic Isaac/Erica going on in this story. I hope you guys liked it :) She'll probably be popping up in this story. Same with Boyd. After all they are Isaac's only friends lol

You can find Ariadne's outfit on my Polyvore (samitballi. polyvore. com) and the outifit is called Back To School.


	3. Chapter 3

The school day seemed to drag on endlessly as Isaac and Ariadne anticipated their rendezvous on the lacrosse field. It wasn't until lunch that they even saw each other again. Having finally found the cafeteria, Ariadne walked into the room carrying a food tray and looking around for a place to sit. She spotted a reasonably empty table and sat down; glad she didn't have to deal with a table full of students she didn't know. But she was only alone for half a minute before a beautiful blond sat down directly across from her.

"Hi I'm Erica." The blond said, extending a hand to Ariadne. She had a big smile on her face, her brown eyes lighting up as Ariadne shook her hand. "You're Ariadne, right? You're new here."

"Yeah, this is only my second day here." Ariadne replied self-consciously. Having everyone immediately know her name felt weird and uncomfortable. Ariadne would much rather fade into the shadows unnoticed but that didn't seem to be an option at this school. It seemed as if she was going to have to deal with some sort of popularity if just because she was new and something different for everyone to obsess over. As long as everyone kept their opinions to themselves, Ariadne didn't mind _that_ much. It was only mildly irritating but if things got any worse, she might go crazy. The worst part would have to be the teachers introducing her every class yesterday. Standing in front of a group of her judgmental peers wasn't exactly the highlight of her morning.

Erica opened her mouth to speak but was cut off when Isaac slammed his tray against the table next to Ariadne, causing her to jump. "What's up, Erica?" he asked through gritted teeth but she just flashed him a wide smile.

"I'm just talking to Ariadne here. Have you two met yet?" she replied fluidly, smiling mischievously at them both.

"Yeah, Isaac and I met yesterday." Ariadne replied with a smile, popping a French fry in her mouth. She'd decided to play it safe and go with French fries, pizza and a cup of fruit for lunch instead of the slightly riskier meal ideas. She'd gotten her favorite soda from the vending machine as well, but made a mental note to pack a lunch every now and then. Healthy options weren't always the easiest options to go for.

Ariadne tried to maintain a somewhat balanced diet. Maybe it was her father's strict diet and exercise routine that made her that way, or maybe it was her delicate appetite; either way, she did her best to stay healthy. She frequently ran, biked and hiked as well as swimming and boxing. She even tried surfing once but never actually succeeded in riding a wave. Her dad swore it was the effort that counted though.

"I saw you swimming yesterday after lunch. Are you thinking about joining the swim team? We could really use…" Erica began to ask but Ariadne cut her off quickly.

"I haven't decided yet." She snapped. She hadn't meant to sound so harsh but she couldn't take it back so she just smiled apologetically and said, "I might at some point." much less harshly. She sipped slowly from her soda, trying to think of something to say as silence fell over the table. They all awkwardly watched one another, none of them quite sure of what to say.

Ariadne looked up in time to catch a third party join their table, silently praying he'd know what to say. "Hey, I'm Boyd." He said as he sat down next to Erica and smiled at Ariadne.

"I'm Ariadne," Ariadne told him, smiling back him. He waved, digging into his lunch.

"You new here? I don't remember seeing you before." He asked bluntly with a piece of chicken in his mouth. Erica slapped him hard on the back of the head but he barely flinched.

Ariadne chuckled. "Yeah, yesterday was my first day."

"Oh well…welcome." He replied and Ariadne laughed a little too loud. She blushed and covered her mouth, embarrassed but Boyd and Isaac just laughed along with her. She peeked at Isaac out of the corner of her eye, catching his glance. Her cheeks flooded with color as he smiled at her. Isaac couldn't help but find her unbelievably attractive when she blushed like that. Hell, he couldn't help but find her unbelievably attractive at all times.

After her little outburst, conversation came a bit easier for those at the lunch table. They talked sporadically throughout lunch until the bell rang and they gathered their things and got up to leave. As Ariadne was throwing her leftover food in the trash, Isaac snuck up behind her, making her jump. "How do you walk so quietly?" she asked in disbelief as she chuckled at him. She grabbed her backpack off her chair and they headed to the gymnasium. Isaac had a free period but he couldn't very well creep around her gym class so he walked her to the locker room then went outside to catch up on leftover homework. He couldn't concentrate much but he at least attempted to do so. Checking his watch every few minutes, Isaac somehow made it through the school day without going mad, then eventually the final bell rang and his heart leapt in his chest. He practically ran to his locker, running into Boyd on the way.

"What's your problem?" he asked with a chuckle as Isaac tossed his books into his backpack clumsily. Erica walked up behind them, smirking at Isaac.

"He has a date in a few minutes." She said like a proud older sister. Isaac rolled his eyes at her as Boyd slapped him on the back, congratulating him.

"Way to go man," Boyd complimented. "Who's it with?" Isaac told him it was Ariadne and Boyd's face lit up with pride. "Way to go, Isaac!" He exclaimed, giving Isaac a massive high-five. "I've never been more proud of you than in this moment."

"Oh shut up, Boyd." Erica grumbled, grabbing the back of his collar and walking him out of the school. Isaac chuckled as he gathered his things and rushed out the doors to the lacrosse field. People were just leaving so he had to finagle his way through the crowds but he managed to get out to the field before Ariadne. He threw his bag on the ground, gathering his equipment and setting it out.

"You got here fast," Ariadne said as she approached him, her backpack flung over her shoulder and a binder in her arms. They smiled at each other as she sat down next to him on the bench and put her things aside.

"Yeah I was pretty excited." Isaac admitted with a shy smile.

"Excited to play lacrosse?"

He blushed. "More excited to see you," he said and Ariadne giggled a little. He stood up and grabbed his stick off the ground. "Alright, let's start with the basics." He then launched himself into a detailed discussion about the semantics of the game, the rules, the guidelines and how to play. Ariadne listened closely, asking a few questions but mostly just watching the way his jaw moved when he spoke. After he was done explaining the rule, he started to show her what to do.

"Stand up," he instructed and she did so with a chuckle. He showed her how to scoop the ball into the net a few times then let her try. "So why'd you move here?" he asked as she tried scooping the ball. It took a few times but eventually she got it in the net.

"My dad is in the Marines so I'm staying here with family friends until he gets back from deployment." She replied as she dropped the ball back to the ground and tried scooping it up again. Isaac just stood back and watched, his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

"How long will he be gone for?" he asked curiously. Part of him was worried once her dad got back from Iraq she'd leave. Just the thought alone made his heart race a little faster.

"He's supposed to be gone eleven months but who really knows. It could be longer, maybe shorter. Things tend to be a little last minute in the military. We don't get too much notice and he doesn't get too much time off. But he's doing the right thing; fighting for our freedom and all." Ariadne replied as she continued to scoop the ball and drop it.

"Okay why don't you try catching the ball now." Isaac suggested, grabbing a ball and tossing it her way. She missed completely but laughed it off, jogging to where the ball had landed. She tossed it back at him and waited for another try.

"Have you lived here long?" she asked as they played their slow game.

"My whole life actually," Isaac replied. "I have a lot of memories in this town; not all of which are good."

"I know what you mean," Ariadne muttered. "No one grows up perfect but it seems like certain people get the worst of it."

_You have no idea_, Isaac thought to himself but instead of voicing his opinion he just smiled and nodded at hers. They tossed the ball back and forth for a bit as Isaac continued to tell her about the game and how it worked.

"We actually have a game this weekend if you're interested in coming." Isaac told her and she smiled.

"Are you playing?" she asked unashamedly as she helped him gather up his equipment. She wasn't actually interested in learning how to play the game, she just wanted Isaac to teach her, and she wanted to know a thing or two for the next game or practice she attended.

"I should be, yeah." Isaac said as thunder cracked overhead. They smiled at each other but as soon as Ariadne opened her mouth to reply, a sheet of hard rain suddenly poured down on them. Ariadne shrieked, trying to cover her head with her binder as she laughed. That was just their luck.

"C'mon," Isaac yelled, grabbing his bag as she did the same. They made a run for the parking lot but Isaac almost fell over when she slipped her hand into his. The smile on his face was so big it literally hurt his cheeks as they ran to the school parking lot hand in hand. She laced their fingers together as she tried to keep up with him, holding her binder over her head for shelter though it didn't work at all.

They ran up to her car and she unlocked the door, turning around to ask Isaac if he wanted a ride, but she was shocked to find him standing directly behind her. She froze, inhaling sharply as she could feel the heat from his chest against hers. He was close enough that she could effortlessly reach up and kiss him. There was an almost ten inch difference in their height so Ariadne had to tilt her head back to look at him. She was essentially eyelevel with his chest but when he looked down at her she couldn't think of anything but wrapping her hands in his hair and kissing him.

Rain dripped off the tip of his nose as Isaac leaned in closer to her. Ariadne leaned into him as well, tilting her chin up. His hand touched her cheek first, just the tips of his fingers brushing against her cheek lightly. They leaned a little closer together. Ariadne instinctively wrapped her arms under his jacket around his waist as she pulled their bodies closer together until their lips finally met.

It was a soft and gentle kiss, maybe even a little hesitant, but it was perfect. Isaac cupped her cheeks in his hands, holding her lips to his as rain poured down around them. She tasted like strawberries against his lips. Ariadne always wanted to kiss a boy in the rain; something The Notebook made seem incredibly romantic. But she had to admit; it wouldn't have been the same had she been with someone else. Having Isaac be the one to push her back against her car and kiss her passionately made the evening all the better.

She could feel the cold rain drip down her spine as she held tight to Isaac's waist, but she couldn't be bothered by any of it. All she cared about was how wonderful it felt to kiss him and feel his body pressed against hers. And when they pulled apart, she smiled up at him.

"Why'd you do that?" she asked quietly, smiling up at him. Isaac just shrugged, capturing her lips with his once more. She leaned into him, relishing the feeling of his fingers tangled in her hair. He was a far better kisser than she'd ever imagined and it was fantastic. In that instant Ariadne threw all of her preconceived notions about dating to the wind. She never wanted to date in Beacon Hills; she didn't even want to consider dating anyone here. But Isaac was changing her mind with every move of his lips.

She was comfortable. Right there, with his arms around her, his lips against hers, Ariadne was comfortable. And in that moment, she wasn't afraid. Sure, she could fall hard and get really hurt. But that didn't matter. She trusted him. For the first time in a really long time, Ariadne wasn't afraid to jump. She'd gotten hurt before but Isaac was different. She could feel it. So as she kissed him back, she started to smile.

"What?" he asked when they pulled apart. She giggled, biting her bottom lip hard. He brushed his thumb against her cheek, rain drenching them continuously.

"I just really like you," she replied with a self-conscious chuckle. Isaac looked her right in the eye and smiled, leaning his forehead against hers.

"I really like you too," he whispered. "More than I'm even willing to admit."

Ariadne chuckled. "How did this happen?" she wondered aloud. Just yesterday she was telling Mark she had no plans at all of dating.

Isaac shrugged indifferently. "I don't know, but you're a dream come true. I've been waiting for someone like you since I was little." Isaac said and Ariadne couldn't help but reach up on her tiptoes and kiss him one last time.

* * *

Author's Note: Thanks for the continued support! Things are moving pretty quickly for Isaac and Ariadne but I feel like Isaac wouldn't want to dawdle lol he strikes me as a do-it-now kind of guy :) I hope to get the next chapter up in a few days once I'm done editing it. Stay tuned! Thanks again :)


	4. Chapter 4

Isaac couldn't sleep that night but luckily no one was around to notice so he was free to stay up all night just staring at the ceiling, remembering the sensational feel of Ariadne's lips against his. He'd periodically run his thumb over his lips but it wasn't the same. He couldn't wait to see her again. For the first time since Isaac started school, he was actually looking forward to it. Learning could wait, seeing Ariadne again couldn't. He was lucky enough not to have missed a trainings session and neither Boyd nor Erica interrupted him all night; but getting to school was a whole other story.

"So?" Boyd asked as soon as he saw Isaac. Erica trailed closely behind them, listening but trying not to let them see. "How did your date go?" Isaac smiled and just shrugged but Boyd laughed buoyantly. "You kissed her didn't you?" he asked, getting Erica's attention.

"You kissed her?" she asked in disbelief. They literally backed Isaac into his locker with their questions but he couldn't wipe the smile off his face regardless. He just smirked and turned to open his locker door.

"Well I'll be damned," Boyd exclaimed, crossing his arms over his chest. "I always knew you were the little wolf that could; but _this_…I never expected this." He taunted lightheartedly but Erica was dead serious when she asked what was wrong with him.

"You don't need this kind of distraction, Isaac." She chastised seriously. "You think the full moon is gonna get any easier if you have _her_ stuck in your mind. We need to focus on…"

"Relax, Erica," Isaac cut in, slamming his locker shut and tossing his backpack over his shoulder. "We're not running off to Peru where you'll never hear from us again. It was a kiss not a proposal. I like her, I'm allowed to like people."

"You've seen how Allison ties down Scott; you really want to end up like that?" Erica snapped, crossing her arms over her chest. Boyd was quiet beside her, uncomfortable whenever Erica and Isaac fought.

"Allison is an Argent of course their relationship is complicated. Now butt out of mine," Isaac retorted before walking away from her. He could hear her mumbling curse words under her breath as Isaac walked down the hall away from her. Erica was always a little on edge but recently she'd only gotten worse. Isaac suspected it had something to do with Scott and Allison. It wasn't quiet jealousy, but she couldn't squirm her way between them and that bugged her. It came back down to her ineffective flirting. She could get down with those who fell prey to her wilily charms; but she couldn't stand those who could see past her beautiful face.

Isaac went the entire day up until lunch without seeing Ariadne. They didn't have a single class together but he was holding out hope that they would be able to sit together at lunch again. But alas, when he entered the cafeteria a few minutes late, she was already sitting at a table with other people. For a minute he actually considered joining them then decided against it as she was sitting with Scott and Stiles. He sat at his usual empty table, listening in on their conversation but for the most part it was nothing interesting. She seemed to have really taken to Stiles, joking with him lightheartedly. Isaac was kind of glad she decided to sit with Scott and Stiles instead of with him because Boyd and Erica sat across from him and he really didn't want to deal with their stares and questions.

Isaac ate his lunch in relative silence, listening to Ariadne's conversation as well as the conversation Boyd and Erica were having. He wasn't really participating nor was he really eating much; too distracted, so when the bell rang, Isaac all but jumped out of his seat. Boyd chuckled at him as they threw away their trash and stopped to talk in the doorway to the cafeteria. That's when Ariadne noticed him. She smiled as she dumped her leftovers in the trash and approached him. He caught her eye and smiled as she came to stand right next to him. She was wearing black jeans and a burgundy jumper but she was wearing flats today so when she stood beside Isaac, she could all but see over his shoulder.

"Hi," Isaac greeted with a wide smile, his silver blue eyes shinning down at her.

"Hi back," she replied with an equally as big smile. They were completely unaware of how awkward they were making Boyd feel until he shuffle his feet uncomfortably and cleared his throat loudly. "Oh hi, Boyd."

"Hey there," Boyd replied with a little smile, waving inelegantly at her. "Okay well I'm gonna go somewhere slightly less flirtatious. See ya," he mumbled before scurrying out of the room. Ariadne chuckled as she watched him leave.

"Come here," she exclaimed excitedly, pulling Isaac's arm hard. He let her drag him away from the cafeteria and into an empty classroom. He was about to ask what she was doing when she closed the door, grabbed his face between her hands and kissed him.

"I've been waiting to do that all day." she said with a giggle. Isaac smiled, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her again. Ariadne's hands tangled in his hair, her lips moving effortlessly against his. They already had a rhythm they could lose themselves in. Isaac anchored his body to hers, his hands roaming all over her back. He felt bad though because he was getting emotionally involved while keeping his greatest secret from her. Isaac could really see himself really growing to love Ariadne. No matter what Isaac always believed in love. He might not have experienced it too often but he knew it was real and he knew he'd someday find it. It was all just a matter of staying patient until that love came to him. He could see loving Ariadne. She was the closest thing to perfection he'd ever found. He didn't want to lose her but he couldn't tell her the truth. How the hell was she supposed to just "get over" the fact he's a werewolf? How was he even supposed to tell her?

"What's wrong?" Ariadne asked, noting his suddenly gloomy mood. She leaned her forehead against his, her hands on his neck. Isaac sighed knowing he couldn't tell her the truth but not wanting to lie either.

"Nothing," he mumbled but she continued to look into his eyes, making him want to spill his secret. "I just...I like you a lot."

Ariadne smiled, content with his answer. "I like you a lot too." she replied, kissing him one last time before pulling away. "What are you doing after school?" she asked and Isaac shrugged. Derek hadn't mentioned training and he didn't have lacrosse practice so he probably would've just spent the day at the subway.

"Come over to my house." Ariadne suggested excitedly. "Mark and Taylor won't be home for a while."

Isaac didn't hesitate to say yes with a smile. He couldn't get enough of her; he just wanted to be with her. The weight of his secret was pushing down on him hard but he wouldn't let that get in the way of seeing her as often as possible. But for the time being, she had to get to class. So Isaac grabbed the back of her neck and kissed her one last time before playfully shoving her out the door with a chuckle. She giggled, stumbling into the relatively empty hallway before rushing off to gym.

Ariadne caught up with Allison after gym, grabbing her arm sharply and leaning in close as she whispered, "Can you keep a secret?" with a wide smile. Allison looked really concerned for a minute before nodding. "I sort of have a date today."

Relief flooded Allison like a tidal wave as she smiled. "With who?" she asked casually as she closed her locker and flung her backpack over her shoulder. She walked to class with Ariadne beside her.

"Isaac Lahay. We've kinda been hanging out lately and I invited him over after school today. I'm kinda freaking out about it." Ariadne said with a chuckle but noticed Allison had stopped walking after she mentioned Isaac's name. "What's wrong?"

"Why Isaac?" she asked in an almost judgmental tone. "I mean of everyone in school why would you date him?"

Ariadne blinked rapidly, not understanding the sudden harshness in Allison's voice. "He's a nice kid, not to mention really cute. Why? Don't you like him?" she replied carefully, her eyes narrowed into slits.

Allison tried to shrug as casually as possible but it just came across as passive aggressive. "No it's not that…it's just…he's a bit odd." Allison mused almost lazily. She was so lost in thought she didn't even catch Ariadne's irritated chuckled.

"Says the girl hanging out with Stiles Stilinski. That boy is the definition of odd." Ariadne retorted. She really liked Stiles, he could make her laugh until she couldn't breath, but he was weird. Maybe that's what made him so likable. He owned his oddness.

"Are you sure you want to go out with him?" Allison asked seriously, suddenly looking up. "I don't think you should."

"What the hell is up with you?" Ariadne snapped, looking back at Allison with a perplexed and slightly peeved expression. "I can date whoever I want to. I just thought maybe it would be fun to talk about it. You know, like _friends_ often do. Cause I thought that's what we are. I thought we were friends."

"We are," Allison insisted, sighing heavily. "I just don't…know Isaac. When are you guys hanging out?" she continued, trying to sound interested rather than nosey.

"Right after school," Ariadne said tightly, still a little uneasy after Allison's sour outburst. Allison forced a smile and wished Ariadne luck before rushing off to her next class. Ariadne watched her leave, curiously wondering what would cause such a seemingly nice girl to snap so harshly.

XXX

Isaac was standing exactly one second before the final bell even rang. He gathered his things quickly and went to head out of class before Erica placed a hand on his chest to stop him. He sighed heavily, throwing his backpack over his shoulder and pushing her hand away. "Not now, Erica." He retorted but she followed him out of the classroom and into the hall.

"Give me one minute, Isaac." She requested, surprisingly quite. Isaac stopped, turned to face her and gestured for her to speak. He didn't really want to hear what she had to say, but he'd do the polite thing and listen for one minute. "Be carefully," she said seriously. "Your bloodlust isn't just at its peek during the full moon. If things get too out of hand with her, how do you expect to control yourself?"

Isaac was relieved her concerns were actually legitimate. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, reassuring both himself and her as well. "Don't worry, E. I can handle this; I wouldn't go if I thought I couldn't." he said softly. She nodded slowly, accepting what he had to say even if she had her doubts. Isaac tweaked her cheek tenderly before heading out of the school building. He looked around the parking lot for Ariadne's car before spotting it and smiling. She was just getting to the red Chevy Cruze when he walked over, scaring her when she turned to catch him.

"Stop doing that!" she exclaimed breathlessly as she clutched her chest in panic. Laughing, Isaac apologized softly, catching her elbow if just to touch her. She smiled up at him, shaking her head as she calmed herself and asked if he brought his bike to school.

"Nope, I walked." He replied, momentarily forgetting how weird that must sound. "Ready to go?" She nodded, giving him a weird look before getting in the drivers side door. Isaac hurried around to the other side and climbed in. He was a little too tall for the small car but he made it work. Ariadne cranked the heat to high a soon as the engine revved to life.

"I grew up in Huston; this weather is literally killing me." she said with a chuckle as she pulled out of the parking lot and headed home. "Is it always this cold?"

Isaac caught her frozen hand and held it close, warming her fingers with his and bringing her knuckles to his limps to kiss them softly. "Yeah it is, get used to it." he replied with a teasing smile. Ariadne giggled, effortlessly driving with her free hand.

"Oh, I could definitely get used to this." she replied quietly, not exactly referring to the weather. Isaac caught on and just smiled, resting his cheek against their intertwined fingers. Her skin was cool against his but he didn't mind; he was always warm.

They drove in companionable silence for the rest of the drive. Eventually Ariadne stopped shivering and turned down the heat but she kept her hand firmly placed in his. He was so warm and soft that she didn't want to let go, even going so far as to park with only one hand on the steering wheel. When they got out of the car, Ariadne skipped up to the front steps while Isaac trailed behind.

"You live here?" he exclaimed in disbelief as he looked about the house. Ariadne chuckled as she unlocked the door and let him inside.

"Temporarily, yeah." she replied as they walked through the doorway. "Mark just works at the sheriffs office but Taylor's a counselor so I guess she's kinda the breadwinner." Ariadne watched Isaac take in the large house as she showed him to the kitchen, asking if he wanted a soda.

"Sure thanks," he mumbled as Ariadne pulled sodas from the fridge and drinking glasses from the cabinet over the sink. "They sent me to a counselor after my mom died...I didn't like it much."

Ariadne gave him a sympathetic smile as she handed him his soda. "My dad sent me to a counselor when my mom left. Sometimes you just don't want to talk about it." she replied softly.

"I was wondering what happened to your mom..." Isaac wondered aloud, with an almost guilty expression.

"She just ran off," Ariadne murmured, not looking at him. "I woke up one morning and she was just gone. My dad told me she had a history of mental illness but I can't help but wonder...why."

Isaac touched her cheek sympathetically. She just gave him a small smile, resting against his hand. It was a nice minute of solitude but they needed to lighten the mood a bit so Ariadne gave him a tour of the house. Isaac walked quietly behind her, holding onto her hand as she showed him around. The tour ended in front of Ariadne's bedroom door where she froze and simpered.

"We can go back downstairs if you want." Isaac offered softly. He could hear her heart beating wildly in her chest but she shook her head and opened the door anyway. Isaac waited in the doorway for her to gesture for him to join her. He walked casually inside, looking around at the purple walls. She was in the middle of unpacking but she had enough stuff out that the room looked good. The dark color of the furniture clashed with the light color of the walls and trim but it somehow still didn't look terrible. She had a rose colored comforter on her bed and a pink and purple flower chandelier that looked homemade. He stopped by her closet door, admiring the photo collage she was in the middle of creating on the back of the door.

"It's a work in progress but I wanted a piece of Huston here with me here." she said as they examined the photos already on the door. Some were of her as a child, some more recent. Her favorite was a photo of her as a little girl, hugging her dad after his first Marine deployment. She was only four years old with pigtails and a flowery dress but her eyes hadn't changed at all.

"Eventually I want to get photos of all my friends here too. You, Allison, Stiles, Scott, I'll even put Lydia and Jackson up there." she said with a chuckle. Isaac laughed nervously, knowing his eyes would cause a camera flair if she ever tried getting a photo of him for her collage. Getting a picture of Scott wouldn't work either and maybe even Jackson as well.

"Is that your mom?" Isaac asked cautiously, pointing to a picture on the door. Ariadne was maybe eight years old as she stood next to a woman the spitting image of Ariadne now. Just a few years older and with worry lines and stress clear on her face, Ariadne's mother was a mirror of Ariadne at 16. They both had the same radiant blue eyes, pale skin, red lips and ebony hair. They could pass for sisters.

"That was taken just a year before she disappeared. I can't remember it, but I'm told she used to smile a lot around me. Dad says I was the only thing to make her smile so wide." Ariadne told him, standing next to him. She hadn't realized she'd let a tear slide down her cheek until Isaac turned and gently captured it with his index finger.

"I'm sorry," his whispered softly. "I didn't mean to make you cry."

Ariadne forced a weak smile, wracking the sleeve of her shirt down her cheek. "It's fine, I didn't even realize I was crying," she told him, moving away from the picture that haunted her. The worst part was not remembering.

Isaac walked over to her desk, examining its contents with a smile. He picked up her iPod and scrolled through her selection, mumbling, "I like your taste," and peeking up at her from under his eyelashes. Ariadne blushed, snatching her iPod from him.

"That's private thank you very much," she chastised teasingly, tossing the iPod in a drawer. She watched him examine the room, wishing to read his mind. When he was done inspecting her things he turned back to her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She leaned into him with a smile, reaching up on her tiptoes to kiss him. They leaned into the kiss, pulling each other closer and closer until there was nowhere else to go. Ariadne ran her fingers through his perfect curly hair as Isaac gripped her hips in his large hands. They both really started to get into the kiss as Ariadne felt her skin get hot. Breathing heavily, she leaned her head back as Isaac began to kiss her neck. The feel of his lips gently pressed against her skin was sensational; she honestly couldn't think of a better feeling in the world.

Pushing against Isaac's chest, they slowly made their way backwards where they fell onto her bed. Isaac smirked up at her, using his weight as an anchor to pull them further up the mattress. Their lips reconnected in a deep and passionate kiss. Until the front door slammed shut.

Mark yelled Ariadne's name from downstairs and she immediately panicked. Hearing footsteps on the stairs, Ariadne and Isaac scurried off the bed and fixed their crooked clothing. Ariadne's reflex reaction was to quickly shove Isaac in the closet and slam the door in his face before Mark knocked on her bedroom door. She immediately felt sorry for Isaac but didn't have time to apologize as Mark walked into the room.

"Hello!" she greeted overzealously as she awkwardly stood in front of the closet with her arms crossed over her chest, trying not to look suspicious but failing. From inside the closet Isaac could almost laugh at how wildly her heart was pounding.

"How was school?" Mark asked as he stood in the doorway; crossing his arms and leaning his shoulder against the door jam.

"Oh it was fine. Fourth times the charm." Ariadne replied with a fake chuckle.

"Okay, good. Well I brought dinner home." Mark replied, turning to leave but stopping a step outside the door. "Do we have to bring food up for your friend in the closet or can he come out?" Mark asked casually before smiling and sauntering away. Ariadne's jaw fell slack as she marveled at him.

Forgetting Mark, Ariadne scurried to the closet to let Isaac out. When she threw the door open he was just standing there with an innocent smile on his lips and his eyebrows raised. "I'm sorry," she immediately told him. "It was a reflex."

"Your reflex was to shove me in a closet and slam the door in my face?" he asked with mock horror.

"I'm really sorry!" she exclaimed but he just chuckled. "Mark wants you to stay for dinner."

"So I heard," Isaac replied casually.

"You don't have to stay," Ariadne murmured with an embarrassed blush. There was a beat of silence as Isaac made up his mind. He didn't necessarily _want_ to stay for dinner but it would make seeing Ariadne easier. If these people were temporarily acting as Ariadne's guardians than they had dictatorship over what she did. That meant whom she could date. So getting on their good side was probably for the best.

"Do you want me to stay?" he asked but Ariadne just shrugged. "I guess I'll stay then." he replied with a lackluster smile. Ariadne reached up on her tiptoes and kissed him one last time, turning his simpler into a wide beautiful smile.

* * *

Author's Note: I feel like I couldn't quite get the words to flow properly during that make-out scene :/ It's not my best but I will have plenty of times to redeem myself ;) These two can't keep their hands off each other! As always, you can check out Ariadne's outfit at .com this outfit is titled Caught :)


	5. Chapter 5

Mark brought Chinese home for dinner so Ariadne and Isaac set the table while Taylor and Mark dumped the food into serving bowls. From the dining room they could hear Taylor complaining about Chinese takeout not being a proper meal, especially when guests are over. But there was nothing she could do and Isaac swore it was fine.

"Thanks for staying," Ariadne mumbled to Isaac as they set out the silverware. "If you weren't here they would've drilled into me for having you over without anyone home."

Isaac smiled, touching her waist and kissing her cheek quickly as he passed her.

"I'm glad to stay, it'll be nice to sit down and eat a proper dinner." he mused quietly, mostly talking to himself.

"What do you mean?" Ariadne asked as she laid down the last fork and propped her hip against the wood, watching Isaac place the last plate on the table.

"The friend I stay with...isn't much of a chef...so we don't eat together much..." Isaac mumbled under his breath. It wasn't entirely true but it wasn't entirely false either. The confusion was clear on Ariadne's face but at least for the minute she let it go.

Mark and Taylor walked into the room a minute later and they all sat down to eat while Taylor rationed out servings for everyone. Mark unapologetically took more than necessary so in order to make it even, Taylor gave everyone twice what they could eat. Ariadne chuckled under her breath as she rolled her eyes. For a counselor, Taylor sure was anal.

"So Isaac how long have you lived here?" Mark asked casually as they ate. Isaac sat across from Ariadne, Mark at the head of the table and Taylor at the other end. The only sound between them for the minutes prior to Mark's inquiry were filled with nothing but the clink of silverware against ceramic plates.

"My whole life," Isaac replied after swallowing a bite of food.

"Really? How come I don't remember ever see you around before?" Mark asked, his voice turning from curious to interrogative almost instantaneously. Ariadne rolled her eyes as she sighed heavily.

_Here comes the Spanish inquisition_, she thought to herself.

"I guess I never got out much," Isaac said cryptically. He caught Ariadne's eye for a split second before looking away. Mark was stabbing his food unnecessarily hard causing a louder click with each bite he took. It was the only other sound besides his labored breathing.

"So are you and Ariadne in the same classes at school? Is that how you met?" Taylor asked pleasantly. She was only trying to fill the silence, make things less awkward, but she wasn't really helping. Mark was still staring at the side of Isaac's head, stabbing his food viciously.

"Actually no, we don't have a single class together." Isaac said, looking up at Ariadne from under his eyelashes. She smiled, thinking the same thing. _The trouble they'd get into if they were in the same class_. They were already having trouble concentrating as it was, they couldn't imagine how hard it would be to focus on a lesson if they were in the same room, god forbid sitting beside each other.

"Isaac helped me find my class Monday. He caught me on the brink of a meltdown and saved me." Ariadne explained, a smile wider than imaginable on her face. Isaac blushed a little; embarrassed by the adoring way she was looking at him.

"Oh how nice of you," Taylor said awkwardly. "I was so worried Ariadne wouldn't make friends."

"She hasn't had any trouble at all," Isaac said, still looking up at Ariadne from under his eyelashes. "I can't imagine anyone not liking her." It was Ariadne's turn to blush after he said that. She unintentionally fluttered her eyelashes before looking away with a simper.

"Yes she told us she went to the lacrosse practice after school. Now I don't know anything about the game, but she said the team was doing well." Taylor said. Isaac was about to comment on their impressive winning streak when Taylor spoke over him. "Jackson is on the team as well, no? Him and Ariadne are friends now so I might just have to attend a game."

If things weren't awkward enough already, that didn't help. Ariadne's smile faded immediately as she rubbed her neck. "I don't think you could classify Jackson and I as friends. And besides, there are plenty of other players on the team. Like Stiles or Scott or Danny. And I'm told Isaac is doing really well." Ariadne amended, eliciting a chuckle from Isaac.

"I know there are other players on the team, Ariadne, but Jackson is the only one I know. And he seems like such a nice boy! I would love to cheer on a boy as wonderful as Jackson, and you should too." Taylor retorted and the room got quiet. Ariadne wouldn't look up at Isaac; afraid he was mad. Though she didn't share the same views as Taylor, Ariadne was dragged into this Jackson charade without her consent and she was worried Isaac would take offense.

"Jackson does seem like a really wonderful boy." Isaac quipped with such a thick layer of sarcasm lacing his voice that Ariadne almost spit her drink out. She coughed to cover her laugh, looking up to see Isaac smiling cheekily at her. At least he wasn't mad.

"Are you on the swim team as well, Isaac?" Taylor asked after she'd recovered from Isaac's sarcasm. "Since Jackson is captain of both, I figured you might participate in two sports as well." It was meant to be a blow to his ego, but Isaac just smiled.

"Jackson is actually the co-captain of the lacrosse team. And I've never had an interest in swimming. My dad used to coach the team so maybe…" Isaac was in the middle of talking when Mark suddenly interrupted him.

"Lahey!" he shouted, throwing his hands up in the air. Everyone jumped and looked at him curiously. "You're Isaac Lahey!"

"Umm…yes." Isaac mumbled, unsure of how else to respond. Mark's sudden outburst was so unlike him that even Taylor was staring at her husband with wide eyes.

"You're the boy we locked up a few months ago when your dad died." Mark said suspiciously. Everyone's eyes went wide and Ariadne gasped sharply.

"Mark!" she whispered in disbelief. She couldn't believe he would bring up such a terrible conversation at the dinner table. Then again she couldn't believe Isaac was actually questioned for his fathers death. Or was it murder?

"It's okay, he's right." Isaac told her calmly. "My father was murdered but I was exonerated."

"You were brought in because your father kicked the crap out of you but Wittemore suddenly recanted his statements saying he saw you and your father fighting just minutes before he was murdered." That's as far as Mark got before Ariadne slammed her hand against the table furiously.

"That's enough!" she yelled, slipping into the same uncharacteristic outburst that Mark had just displayed. "I would appreciate it if you would please refrain from accusing my friends of murder." She snapped angrily. No one at the table had ever seen her so furious before; hell, even she couldn't recall a time when she'd reacted so harshly.

Mark slowly began to nod. "You're right," he admitted amiably. "I shouldn't have brought it up. You were found innocent so I'm sure you were. I am sorry, Isaac."

Isaac accepted Mark's apology and things got real quiet again. Not sure of how to appropriately react to Ariadne's outburst, Isaac just watched her for a minute. She stared down at her plate, lost in thought. He could see the wheels turning in her head as something akin to embarrassment and regret covered her expression. Under the table, Isaac lightly kicked the tip of her boot to get her attention and when she looked up, he winked. It was enough to get her to smile as he mouthed 'thank you' without a word slipping from his lips.

The rest of their meal was relatively silent after that but Isaac and Ariadne kept exchanging glances the whole night. Mark warmed up to Isaac surprisingly fast after his outburst. Isaac was unknowingly proving himself to Mark as they talked easily. The conversation was light and meaningless and almost borderline effortless. Isaac offered to help with dessert when they were finished their dinner but Taylor insisted on doing it by herself.

"Since I couldn't help with desert," Isaac said when they were finished their desert as well. "The least I can do is help with the dishes." It was too polite of a gesture so Taylor couldn't say no. She smiled and accepted his offer as Mark gestured for her to join him in the living room.

She hesitated just one second before Mark threw his arm around her shoulders and whispered, "Give them a second to themselves," in her ear as he guided her out the dinning room door. "And give me a second to properly say goodnight."

Ariadne laughed at Mark's not so quiet seductiveness as they exited the room. She helped Isaac gather the dishes and bring them to the kitchen where she dried what he washed. Ariadne just kept apologizing over and over because in her mind that was the most horribly awkward dinner she could imagine.

Isaac chuckled. "Stop apologizing, it makes you sound weak." He retorted, smiling at his own inside joke. "Besides, it wasn't the worst dinner ever."

"Oh yeah? I doubt it," Ariadne pouted as she dried a cup and set it in the cabinet.

"Mark wasn't entirely wrong about my father," he admitted softly, feeling Ariadne's eyes shoot up to his. "We never exactly had the best relationship and before he died…well he wasn't nice. The last dinner I had with him…he threw a glass at my head. Nearly blinded me with the shards that fell on me."

Ariadne was quiet for a long minute as she processed what he told her. Without saying a word, she reached over touched his hand softer than he'd ever been touched before. That's all she had to do; she didn't have to say a word. The soft and gentle touch was the only reminder Isaac needed. The reminder that no matter what happened in his past, his future with her was bright.

XXX

After a little while, Isaac decided it was time he headed out. Mark and Taylor said their goodbyes in the living room but Ariadne walked him outside. "Do you want me to drive you? It's no big deal." She offered as they stood on the front stoop. Isaac shook his head no because he didn't want her finding out he lived in an abandoned subway station with Derek. He kissed her cheek lightly, thanking her for dinner before turning to leave.

He stopped halfway down the driveway before turning around. Confidence coursing through him, Isaac marched right up to Ariadne, grabbed her waist and kissed her hard.

"What was that for?" she asked breathlessly when they pulled apart. Isaac just smiled, kissing her forehead.

"Cause you're the best thing that's happened to me in a long time." he told her honestly. She couldn't help but smile as they let go and he turned to leave once again. This time he didn't stop and Ariadne watched him walk down the street. Eventually he disappeared from sight and into the woods were he took off running. It was effortless for him but still faster than any human could ever dream. He smiled as he ran, only stopping when he burst through the doors of the subway station.

Derek had been sleeping in his subway cart when Isaac slammed through the doors, jolting him awake. "Damn it, Isaac, why'd you do that?" Derek chastised angrily, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Isaac walked into the trolley as he slid his leather jacket off his shoulders.

"Sorry I wasn't thinking." Isaac told him as he tossed his jacket on one of the trolley seats and sat down. Derek sat up and ran his hands through his hair. He never slept well when Isaac wasn't around; he felt vulnerable without backup. He slept in his jeans with his boots on and everything just in case, but when Isaac was somewhere else for the night, Derek barely slept a wink if just because he had to keep a look out.

"Where were you?" Derek grumbled sleepily, popping his shoulders and rolling his neck. He finally noticed the dopey smile on Isaac's face. He quirked a small smile. "What's her name?" was all he said.

Isaac wasn't even surprised Derek caught on. Knowing Erica she probably went straight to Derek the first time Isaac even mentioned Ariadne. He just kept smiling, leaning his head against the back of his seat. "Ariadne. She's new," he said, sounding like a lovesick puppy.

Derek sighed. "I don't have to remind you it's not safe." Derek murmured heavily. He wasn't entirely sure how to deal with Isaac's love life. Half jealous and half worried, Derek didn't want to play 'daddy' for Isaac's first girlfriend.

"I haven't felt the urge to shift once while I've been with her. Even when we kiss, shifting is the furthest thing from my mind." Isaac replied honestly. Derek seemed impressed even if he didn't show it well.

Derek stood up and walked over to Isaac. He didn't sit down next to him rather just stood over him, looking down at Isaac, saying, "How long could this possibly last, Isaac?" he asked seriously, striking a nerve in Isaac. "She doesn't know anything yet, but how do you think she'll feel when she finds out?"

Derek placed a reassuring hand on Isaac's shoulder. "Maybe it'll work, probably not. Either way, don't let it get in the way. Our priority is Gerard and Jackson." and with that, Derek walked away. Isaac could hear the familiar click of the weight bench Boyd brought into the subway station. Derek liked to work out when he battled his insomnia so it wasn't surprising to Isaac at all to hear Derek start lifting weights only a minute after waking up.

Isaac silently made his way to his trolley and laid down on his cheap and crappy mattress. Having Derek voice his fears made Isaac suddenly uneasy. He knew there was no way to keep _that_ side of his life from Ariadne. But he couldn't involve her either. What if she got hurt? He'd never be able to live with himself if she got hurt because of something he did or didn't do. That couldn't happen. But what could he do to prevent it? Telling her the truth meant she'd probably go running in the opposite direction screaming. But it might also open her up to the opportunity to stay safe or protect herself. She was a waiting target as it was but maybe if she knew the truth she'd have a better chance of staying off the playing field.

Isaac grunted in frustration, turning over on his side and checking his watch seeing it was already two in the morning. He had school in the morning so he had to sleep but he couldn't seem to get his eyes to close long enough to pass out. After another hour of trying, Isaac gave up and went out to the weight bench to work out his insomnia with Derek.

* * *

Author's Note: The stats for this story are pretty good but I haven't gotten any reviews on the last few chapters. I _really really_ love reviews because it's an opportunity for me to learn what you guys like or don't like about my story. If you don't review, I don't know if you like the direction I'm taking the story and the last thing I'd want is to lose readers because I was oblivious to your guy's likes/dislikes. So please leave a review, even if it's just to say you liked Sassy Isaac or the interaction between him and Derek. Anything! Please and thank you :)

As always you can check out my Polyvore (samitballi. polyvore. com) for outfits. It's the same outfit from the last chapter though.


	6. Chapter 6

Ariadne was getting ready for school the following morning when Mark knocked on her door. Letting him inside, Ariadne continued getting dressed while he made his way into the room. She was wearing light jeans and a dark floral tank, so she grabbed her light grey sweater off her desk chair for warmth. Mark stood just inside the doorway as he watched her slip her feet into pink ballet flats and go about putting her jewelry on.

"So this Isaac," he started off. "I like him."

Ariadne literally froze, fixing a blank stare on her face. "Really?" she deadpanned. Recalling his outburst at the dinner table the previous night, Ariadne found it hard to believe that Mark actually liked Isaac. She slowly slipped her owl necklace over her head, still staring blankly at Mark.

"Yes, I do. _I_ can get past _his_ past. Having said that though, if he touches you anywhere below your shoulders I'll rip his arms off and beat him to death with the bloody stumps." Mark clarified. Ariadne chuckled as she gathered her school supplies off her desk and stuffed them in her backpack, tossing it over her shoulder.

"I'm almost certain he could take you, Hulk Hogan. But I appreciate your protectiveness." Ariadne replied with a chuckle as she grabbed her cell phone and headed out of the room. Mark followed her downstairs where she grabbed a Pop-Tart out of the cabinet and a bottle of juice from the fridge.

"Hey I'm being serious. He seems like a nice enough boy but he is still a boy. I just want you to know that no matter where your dad is on this planet…he'll still find this boy and kill him. And I'll help." Mark replied with the most serious expression she'd ever seen on him in her life.

Ariadne withheld a giggle. "Thank you, Mark. I do appreciate it," she said, slapping his shoulder as she walked past him to the garage. She outright laughed when she was inside her car where he couldn't hear. Mark was being sweet but he didn't know her or Isaac very well. He didn't realize _she_ was the one itching to jump Isaac's bones.

As she drove to school, Ariadne remembered the start of their heated kiss yesterday before dinner. She remembered the way Isaac had kissed her neck softly, his tongue ever so lightly tasting her skin, and the little smirk on his lips when they fell backwards on her bed. The tingling sensation and the heat flooding her skin made Ariadne suddenly uncomfortable in her seat. No one had ever made her feel the way Isaac did. Of course she'd been kissed and touched before, but it was different with Isaac. Every single touch and kiss made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. She couldn't even think about Isaac without butterflies swirling in her tummy. He was like magic or something. All he had to do was smile at her and Ariadne would blush a flirty, giddy shade of red. She couldn't think about his smile without smiling herself.

Ariadne had to laugh at her own silliness. Just a few days ago she arrived in Beacon Hills hopping to stay off everyone's radar and focus on school. She swore to Mark she didn't want to date anyone and here she was smiling like an idiot because of Isaac. Because she met a glorious boy who changed every preconceived notion she had as to how teenage boys were. All the boys she'd ever dated seemed to be just cocky, overzealous jerks with a quick trigger. Isaac was so different. He was soft and gentle and when he smiled he could literally light up a room. She could spend all day just counting the colors in his perfect silver blue eyes and be perfectly content. Without even realizing it, Isaac was completely changing Ariadne's view of the world. Just a few days ago she was partly miserable and full of bitter sadness. Then Isaac happened and she couldn't stop smiling. He wasn't just making Beacon Hills sound good to her; Isaac made life seem a lot better. Like no matter what happened there would always be something _good_ out there in the world.

Ariadne pulled her Chevy Cruze into the school parking lot and killed the engine. Grabbing her backpack and exiting her car, she literally ran directly into Jackson for the second time. She stumbled backwards, losing her balance and almost falling on her butt. If it weren't for the hand Jackson extended to catch her, Ariadne probably would've made a complete fool of herself in front of the school.

"You okay?" Jackson asked with a chuckle as he helped steady her. "You run into people a lot or is it just me?"

Ariadne blushed as Jackson smirked at her. She chuckled as she gathered herself. "It's just you so far. You're like a bad luck charm or something. Every time you're around I do something completely stupid." She told him with a teasing smile. They walked up to the school together, drawing a few looks from the students around them.

"Well for the record, you can crash into me anytime you want. Even though I'm pretty sure you've completely massacred my toes." Jackson said with a serious expression before cracking a smile. Ariadne chuckled, shoving his shoulder. That's when Jackson noticed a strand of hair that had fallen from her ponytail during their struggle, so he decided to completely shock her and reach out to softly tuck it behind her ear.

Ariadne just kind of froze, not sure what to do. Luckily, Jackson didn't give her time to respond as he just smiled and walked into the school without a further word. Ariadne literally shook her head as she tried to process what had just happened. Did Jackson actually like her? But he was popular and captain of the lacrosse team, why would he want to date the new girl?

XXX

School dragged on and on all day until lunch; that seemed to be the only subject Isaac looked forward to. He did his best to focus on his studies but it wasn't exactly easy, especially after what he saw happen between Ariadne and Jackson before school that morning. He came up to the scene too late and couldn't do anything about it, but that didn't mean the interaction didn't make his blood boil. Whatever game Jackson was playing, he better leave Ariadne out of it. Isaac was already itching to rip his head off as it was and this wasn't helping. If Jackson fucked around with Ariadne, and or her emotions Isaac might lose it. He had pretty good control of his inner wolf but seeing Jackson and Ariadne interacting outside the school almost made him shift. He hid behind the school for a few minutes afterwards just to make sure he was in control again.

Isaac's last subject before lunch was History- one of the only subjects he was doing well in. So when the bell rang, he shot out of his seat like a rocket, already heading for the door. He really wanted to sit with Ariadne for lunch but if he didn't get there in time she would probably sit with someone else. Isaac was at the door when his teacher stopped him.

"Give me one second here, Isaac." His teacher demanded, so he hesitated one second before heaving a sigh and listening to his teacher compliment his latest essay. "I know you're struggling through your other classes." He heard her say, but he wasn't really listening. She was reminding him that the upcoming midterm covered half his overall grade…or at least that's what he picked up by listening to every other sentence. "There will be an essay part, which will be your hardest," she droned on for another minute. Isaac tuned her out, only listening enough to nod his head when it was appropriate, but he was mainly just watching the clock. He'd already been held up five minutes so Ariadne probably sat with Stiles and Scott or maybe Allison. Isaac hung his head with a sigh but he still ran down the hall when his teacher finally dismissed him.

Bursting through the cafeteria doors, Isaac smiled really wide when he saw Ariadne sitting by herself at the table Isaac, Boyd and Erica usually sat at. She was peacefully eating her lunch, reading from one of her textbooks. Isaac needed to get food so he headed towards the lunch line, keeping an eye on her as he did so. His back was turned for literally a second and when he looked back Jackson was approaching Ariadne. Trying to quicken his pace without drawing too much attention to himself, Isaac skipped through the line as fast as possible. Unfortunately the lunch lady stopped him in order to pay and Jackson beat him to the table.

"Now why are you sitting alone?" Jackson asked Ariadne as he straddled the seat right next to her. "Come sit with Danny and I. We can introduce you to the swim team." Ariadne flipped her textbook shut and discretely scooted away from Jackson as she shook her head.

"No thanks, Jackson, not today. I'm already sitting with someone." She replied easily, smiling at him. Jackson popped one eyebrow up, looking around the table expectantly.

"Who?" he asked, looking back her. "I don't see anyone."

"I think you should go sit with Lydia." Ariadne suggested but Jackson seemed disgusted by the idea. "It would be nice for you to…"

"I want to sit with you," Jackson interrupted, grabbing a strawberry off her plate and biting into it. Ariadne rolled her eyes as she sighed. "I want to talk you into joining the swim team. I want to get to know you. Don't you want to get to know me?"

"I would love to get to know you, Jackson. But not today, right now, over lunch. Some other time maybe but right now…" Ariadne said before he cut her off.

"So we'll go out some time and get to know each other. I'll call you," Jackson stated with a smirk before standing up and walking away. Ariadne watched him walk off, blankly staring at his back. She couldn't believe how easily he'd swindled her.

Ariadne heard Isaac ask, "What was that about?" before he took Jackson's place at her table. She smiled really big as she inclined her seat towards him as he got situated.

"Nothing at all," she replied, leaning her shoulder against his. Isaac smiled back at her, happy to finally see her after a long day of school. He really did wish they had at least one class together, just so he didn't have to wait until lunch to see her.

"So give it to me," Isaac told her seriously. "How badly do Mark and Taylor hate me? Should I run for the hills?"

Ariadne chuckled as she reached under the table to hold his hand. "Mark actually really likes you," she said truthfully but there was doubt clear on Isaac's face. "I swear he does; he told me so this morning. He threatened to kill you if you made a wrong move but other than that, he likes you. Not as much as I do of course…" Ariadne scooted close enough to touch her lips to his quickly but pulled away before anyone else had the opportunity to notice.

"Well I'd hope not," Isaac replied, suddenly grabbing her and kissing her hard. Ariadne leaned into the kiss, her hands knotting in his shirt. He held the back of her neck as he kissed her with real passion, never wanting to let go. His lips moved against hers as they lost themselves in the kiss, not a care in the world that they were in a public place with dozens of kids staring at them. When they pulled apart, Ariadne blushed from all the attention they'd received. But Isaac just grabbed her hand and pulled her up.

"Come here," he said as she quickly gathered her books and let him pull her away from the cafeteria. She asked where they were going before Isaac hushed her teasingly and continued to pull her down the hallways. She laughed as she practically ran to keep up with him, her hand in his. Isaac burst through the back doors and headed in the direction of the bleachers before Erica stepped directly in front of him. Isaac almost growled at her as she caused a little collision.

"Where are you two headed?" Erica asked with a dazzling smile as she continued to stand in his way. Isaac grumbled his answer under his breath, staring at Erica angrily. "Sounds kinky," Erica retorted before Isaac pushed past her, Ariadne's hand still in his.

"Are you coming to the game this weekend, Ariadne?" Erica asked so Ariadne stopped short to answer her.

"Yeah, I was planning on…" Ariadne barely finished her sentence before Erica smiled, cutting her off.

"Good! We should sit together. Give me a chance to get to know you." Erica said grandly, flashing a stunning smile before walking away.

"I don't know what you're so aggressive with her; she seems nice enough. She's freaking gorgeous, that's for sure." Ariadne mused quietly as she watched Erica walk away. She couldn't help but watch the way Erica's hips swayed as she walked.

"I'm aggressive with her because I know her." Isaac snapped harshly as he too watched Erica walk away; thinking of all the ways he would get back at her for whatever she had up her sleeve. Whatever she was planning, he was onto her. Isaac wasn't going to let _anyone_ foil his relationship with Ariadne. No one.

XXX

Ariadne and Isaac spent their lunch break under the bleachers picking up where they'd left off last night before Mark interrupted them. As a direct result, Ariadne was a few minutes late to gym but it was a swimming day so she wasn't all that worried. She gave Isaac one last kiss before scurrying into the girl's locker room while he went out to the gymnasium to watch. Ariadne emerged from the locker room in her orange bathing suit, scanning the gymnasium for Isaac. She found him sitting on the bleachers with Erica, smiling down at Ariadne as they waved at each other. Suddenly coach Finstock blew his whistle directly in her ear causing her to flinch.

"Truman, in the pool," he commanded directly in her ear, blowing the whistle again for no apparent reason. Ariadne stared blankly at him as she took a step backwards and effortlessly dropped into the pool without a word. Coach eyed her up, the whistle still between his lips as he slowly walked away.

Ariadne swam around for a second, getting used to the water before lining up at the end of the pool next to a few other kids. Pulling herself up the wall she got on the podium and readied herself to dive in.

"Ready," Coach yelled and the kids all crouched over, ready to jump. There was a beat of silence before Coach blew the whistle and everyone leapt into the pool. The water splashed around Ariadne as she soared through the water, her body moving effortlessly as she came out of the water and started freestyle swimming, propelling her body forward. She blew past the other students with ease, body moving forward effortlessly. Ariadne's fingers touched the wall a good three seconds before anyone else. The most rewarding part was the dumbfound look on coach Finstock's face as he checked his stopwatch.

Coach Finstock called out her time in disbelief as Ariadne climbed out of the pool. She caught Isaac's proud smile and laughed at the unimpressed expression on Erica's face. Ariadne made her way back around the pool as a few other kids got their turn. As soon as the next round of swimmers were done, Coach blew his whistle in her ear again. She jumped; very angrily waiting for him to tell her whatever he needed her to do.

"You're up," he told her but she looked at him curiously. There were at least seven other kids who hadn't gotten to swim yet but he wanted her back in the pool. So Ariadne walked back to her podium and readied herself to swim again. Coach lined up a few other kids and blew his whistle, timing them as they swam. For the second time in a row, Ariadne beat the other kids by a few seconds. She resurfaced in time for Coach to announce her time proudly. He blew his whistle again, for once not in Ariadne's ear.

"Wittemore! In the pool," he yelled but when Ariadne tried to climb out he pushed her back in. "You're swimming with Jackson." he told her with a sick smile. She could tell he was looking forward to the competition so Ariadne just shrugged and swam back to the other side of the pool while Jackson peeled his shirt off and dove into the pool beside her.

"Truman, I wanna see your breast." Coach yelled and the entire gymnasium went completely silent. Ariadne froze, looking up at him with a confused and slightly offended look. "Stroke! Breaststroke! I wanna see your breast stroke! Swim!" he stammered awkwardly, blowing his whistle again just so everyone would start talking again.

"Okay, Coach." Ariadne said with a chuckle as she pulled herself out of the pool and readied herself on the podium.

"I just have to warn you," Jackson said beside her as he readied himself as well. "These cheekbones are aerodynamically suited for speed in water."

Ariadne chuckled at him as she bent over saying, "See these 34C's? They do pretty well in water also." Upon instinct, Jackson peeked over at her chest just as Coach blew the whistle and she launched herself into the pool a second before a distracted Jackson. They took off swimming as fast as they could, neck and neck the whole time. Ariadne wasn't going easy on him but neither was he so it was a close race the whole way until Ariadne's fingers touched the wall first.

Coach blew the whistle louder than ever as he danced around the gymnasium spastically. Ariadne chuckled because Coach was so proud of her for beating the captain of the swim team. She hoisted herself out of the water, having spent a good deal of energy swimming against Jackson. Coach pulled her up by the arms, holding her shoulders as he looked her in the eye and said, "You have got to join the swim team! We need you!" with such passion he sounded like a proud parent.

"I'll think about it, Coach." Ariadne told him with a chuckle but he shook her shoulders, saying there was no question about it that she absolutely had to join the team but she wouldn't give him a straight answer. She just slipped out of his hands and walked back towards the locker room.

After a shower, Ariadne redressed and towel dried her hair, running leave-in conditioner through it as well. She was just finished getting ready when Lydia marched right up to her and said, "I saw you swimming with Jackson today." Ariadne heaved a sigh, ready for Lydia to lay into her for even talking to her ex. "Jackson likes a challenge so long as he can win."

Ariadne thought for a second before saying, "So I guess he won't like me anymore." considering she beat him. If Jackson were as sore a loser as Lydia thought, maybe he'd finally leave her alone.

Lydia slowly smiled, making Ariadne return the gesture. "Love your shoes," she said pompously before turning and walking directly out the door. Ariadne laughed as she watched Lydia's back disappear out the double doors. She shook her head with laughter as she tossed her backpack over her shoulder and exited the same way Lydia had. She looked around for Isaac or Erica but couldn't find them so she headed to her locker to grab the necessary books for her next class.

She had two more classes with Jackson wherein they sat as far away from each other as possible. She could literally feel the shame leeching off him. Ariadne honestly hadn't meant to make him look weak or slow, she just swam. It wasn't her fault she was incredibly fast in the water. Feeling the urge to apologize, Ariadne caught Jackson's hand after the final bell before he could flee to his Porsche.

"About what happened in the pool today," she started off, standing on the stairs outside the school. "I really didn't mean to offend you or show you up or anything. Coach wanted me to swim so that's what I did. I'm sorry if…"

Jackson quickly interrupted her with an award-winning smile. "Don't worry about it, Ariadne. It's cool. You were the better swimmer today and I can accept that. But next time we go head to head, I'm taking you down hard." He challenged with a raised eyebrow. Ariadne couldn't help but smile widely at him.

"You're on, Wittemore." She retorted mischievously. "Just remember, boobs beat cheekbones."

Jackson laughed outright, unconsciously checking out her chest again. She didn't blame him, having brought her breasts into the conversation, but she made a face at him anyway. He threw up his hands innocently and they laughed. "I'll see you in the pool." Jackson told her, tweaking her chin. She swiped at his hand but he was already walking away towards his Porsche. Ariadne shook her head as she watched him walk off. He was so likeable at times, then other's he was flat-out annoying. His mood swings were starting to give her whiplash.

* * *

Author's Note: Sorry it's kinda rushed but I wanted to get it up tonight before my birthday tomorrow. Lot's of Jackson! Haha, I'm really liking the idea of a subplot line of Ariadne/Jackson. What do you guys think? I also love the potential friendship blossoming between Ariadne and Erica. That girl needs some friends aside from her pack haha

As always you can check out Ariadne's outfit from this chapter on my Polyvore (samitballi. polyvore. com). This one is just titled School Friday. Thanks :)


	7. Chapter 7

Isaac trained especially hard Friday evening after school. He needed to let off some steam after watching Ariadne's almost constant interaction with Jackson at school. Jackson had some sort of plan, something up his sleeve, and Isaac was worried for Ariadne. But he was also undoubtedly jealous. It was so hard to tell whether the affection was mutual between Ariadne and Jackson. At first Isaac was sure she barely tolerated him but now he wasn't entirely sure. There was a tiny doubt in the back of his mind that terrified him. He couldn't compete with Jackson Wittemore with all his money, popularity and cheekbones. But they were both animals. Ariadne was stuck between two monsters.

After one final blow to the gut, Isaac gave up and bowed out of a fight with Derek. He'd thoroughly gotten his ass kicked so he laid down in his subway cart to catch his breath and heal. Erica was perched on the seat across from him, the back of her head against the glass window, her eyes shut as she too attempted to heal. Boyd was the only one who refused to train like the others. He preferred to watch and occasionally he'd go up against Isaac but he'd never fought Derek. At least not that Isaac or Erica saw. Isaac sometimes thought they trained in secret but he wasn't sure. Nor did he care. Boyd was a powerhouse nonetheless.

"I like her," Erica spoke, cutting the five-minute silence that lingered over them. Isaac opened his eyes so he could look over at her but she was still sitting in the exact same position with her legs drawn up under her and her eyes shut.

"What?" Isaac asked, closing his eyes again. He could've fallen asleep had he not been in horrific pain. He had a couple dozen bones that needed to heal and it was going slowly.

"I like Ariadne. She checked out my ass during lunch." Erica clarified with a chuckle. Boyd coughed to cover his amusement and even Isaac had to smile. "You have competition though."

"You?" Isaac teased and she laughed but shook her head.

"No not me- though I would definitely take…" Erica started to say before Isaac's stern look cut her off. She winked at him before saying, "I meant Jackson. He seems to have a thing for her. He followed her around like a puppy all day."

"I noticed that," Boyd said. Isaac shut upright in his seat, worry clear on his face. If _Boyd_ noticed than it really was bad. "He sat next to her during math today. _Like right next to her_. I was half tempted to knock the legs out from his chair. It freaks me out the way he looks at her."

"What do you mean? How does he look at her?" Isaac asked frantically, worry causing a crease between his eyes. Maybe he was being paranoid but he didn't want anything to come between them or hurt her. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if she got hurt because of him. He had to protect her.

"I don't know man. It's sort of like the way you look at her but also the way a lion looks at its prey. Like she's a meal but also a doll at the same time." Boyd tried to explain, not making the most sense.

"He likes her but he wouldn't hesitate to kill her either." Erica chimed in, summing up Boyd's explanation perfectly. "I'd watch out for her if I were you, Isaac. I can't tell if he wants to steal her from you or eat her."

"Neither of those sound particularly pleasant, Erica." Isaac snapped, running his hands through his hair. "I think I need to tell her…I need to tell her the truth."

"What? No, you can't do that!" Erica cried, standing up and looking down on Isaac.

"I don't think I have any other choice. What am I supposed to do? Maybe if she knows the truth she'd be able to…"

"To what, Isaac? Protect herself? Get away from Jackson? You really see that as the most likely outcome?" Erica shouted passionately. "What if she runs the opposite direction? What if she never wants to see you ever again? What if she goes running to Jackson because you broke her heart…"

"That's enough," Derek's voice boomed, accompanied by the Alpha's sudden appearance in the doorway to the trolley. Erica jumped, cowering back into her seat at the sight of Derek. He looked between the three of them, none of them wanting to make eye contact with him. Derek hated nothing more than when they fought. Probably considering the demise of his entire family, Derek didn't like his '_new family'_ fighting so they tried to keep their bickering to a minimum when he was around.

"It's late," he finally said a minute later. "You both should go home." That's all he needed to say before Erica and Boyd grabbed their backpacks and scurried out of the subway station. Derek waited to hear the slam of the heavy metal door before he took up Erica's previous seat across from Isaac. He sat down, leaning his elbows against his knees, looking down at the ground.

"You want to tell her the truth?" Derek asked, looking up at Isaac from under his eyelashes. Isaac just nodded solemnly.

"Jackson's been hanging around her; I'm scared she'll get tangled up without knowing it. I want to protect her," Isaac said quietly, unable to look his Alpha in the eye.

Derek sighed. "It's up to you whether you tell her or not. But don't get your hopes up." Derek mumbled, not looking up but studying the dirt on the subway floor. "It probably won't end the way you think it should."

"You think she'd break up with me?" Isaac whispered, suddenly feeling like his voice was louder than ever. The subway station was completely dead silent around them.

Derek shrugged one shoulder. "I don't think she's going to be overly found of the idea." He mumbled before finally standing up and looking at Isaac. "We have more important things to concentrate on, Isaac. If you deal with Kanima first, maybe you don't have to tell her."

Isaac's head shot up to look at Derek, surprised by the suggestion. It made sense; kill the threat. As Derek passed Isaac, he placed his hand reassuringly on his Beta's shoulder. Isaac had a lot to think about.

XXX

Saturday was pretty boring for Ariadne since she didn't have school to occupy her mind. She slept in a little before going for a long run and finishing her homework. She was going to the lacrosse game that night so she spent some extra time on her hair and makeup. She even curled her hair and braided little section to form an intricate style. It was cold outside- or at least to her Huston bones it was- so she didn't spend too much time on her clothes seeing as they would be hidden under her jacket. She wanted to be warm though so she wore jeans and a long sleeve shirt and brown boots. She was fishing around the boxes in her closet from gloves and a knit hat she used to wear when Mark snuck in without knocking. He crouched down beside her in the closet, whispering for no apparent reason.

"I've convinced Taylor not to come with you tonight," he whispered softly, making Ariadne immediately smile. "But you're not out of the woods just yet. In exchange for not coming tonight she's inviting the entire Whittemore family over for dinner next weekend."

Ariadne's jaw all but dropped to the box beneath her. "Why? Doesn't she realize I'm not interested in Jackson? I like Isaac not Jackson and I will never like Jackson. Why is she forcing us together..." Ariadne complained but Mark was just as clueless as she.

"Taylor's parents divorced when she was really little. She grew up being shuffled from one poverty stricken house to the other. That's why family dinners are so important to her and why she doesn't want kids- cause she's afraid she'll mess them up the way her parents did. I admit her views are a little warped but it's how she feels. She thinks the Whittemore's have it all together so she wants to be associated with them. It's a small price to pay for her happiness." Mark explained quietly.

Ariadne sighed heavily. She never knew any of that but it made sense. Ariadne herself had a somewhat complicated view of love and family. Her mother having left when she was young and her father never being around changed her thinking but it was the opposite of Taylor. Ariadne knew fancy family were the ones with the most problems. She always wanted a tight-knit loving family. The kind that didn't need much so long as they had each other.

Mark stood up to walk away but Ariadne called his name before he was out the door. "You guys know how grateful I am for everything you're doing for me, right? You didn't have to take me in or buy me a car or treat me so well. I'm not even your family and you've done more for me than I could ever imagine. So...thanks." she murmured quietly, not sure how to express her gratitude.

Mark smiled as he said, "Family isn't always blood related. Have fun at the game tonight, don't be out too late." then walked away. Ariadne smiled and turned back to her box of accessories, pulling out her white knit hat and black hobo gloves. Taking one last look in the mirror, Ariadne smiled. This was her home now. These people are her family.

She slowly started to smile. Not a bad family to have

XXX

Ariadne arrived at the high school just before the game began. She fought her way through a mass of students over to the bleachers where she looked around for a seat. Erica was sitting in the middle row of the bleachers closest to Ariadne and when the girls locked eyes, Erica smiled and waved Ariadne over to sit with her. Ariadne chuckled but worked her way up the bleachers to where Erica was.

"So glad you could make it," Erica told her, smiling that flashy smile of hers. Ariadne got situated and looked out at the field, trying to catch someone she knew before they put their helmets on and totally obstructed her view. She saw Stiles on the bench next to Scott but she didn't see Isaac or Jackson yet.

"What's Isaac's number again?" Ariadne asked, wishing she'd paid better attention at the practice she watched. She was a little preoccupied at the time but everyone was on the field already so she'd lost her chance to catch him with his helmet off.

"Isaac? Number 14," Erica replied, watching Ariadne instead of the game. She couldn't get a read of the new girl. Half the time Erica hated her but sometimes she'd watch Ariadne and couldn't help but smile. She seemed like a nice enough girl; and she was completely infatuated with Isaac, which was a nice plot twist. It was hard not to smile when watching Isaac and Ariadne interact. It was also a little sickening.

"Do you know anything about what's going on?" Ariadne asked as the two girls watched the game in complete ignorance. Erica laughed as she shook her head.

"I have no idea," she said honestly and the girls laughed.

"Isaac tried to explain it to me but I don't remember a word he told me." Ariadne joked lightheartedly. "I was honestly too distracted by the kids jaw line."

"He does have a great jaw line, doesn't he?" Erica mused thoughtfully and Ariadne perked an eyebrow at the blond. "What? I'm aloud to admire."

Ariadne laughed. "Just make sure you're admiring from afar." She threatened with a wicked smile, not even looking at Erica. It was in that moment that Erica decided she liked Ariadne. If someone was willing to threaten her over Isaac they were worth keeping around. Not to mention she had wit, they could banter. Erica got lost in a fantasy as she watched Ariadne.

Erica could easily see herself growing to be friends with the girl beside her. It would be nice to have another female in the pack. Of course she'd never be turned, but she'd be ten times more sympathetic than the boys. Erica desperately needed a friend, a _female_ friend. The last girl friend she had ended in a catty fight over a boy in eighth grade. Since then Erica hasn't had many friends at all let alone girl friends.

The girls watched the game together, cheering on the boys together. Boyd showed up halfway through the game at sat next to Erica, asking how the team was doing.

"We have no clue," Ariadne and Erica said at the same time then chuckled. "I think we're winning." Ariadne continued as she looked over at the scoreboard. Boyd shot the girls a disappointed look before leaning over in his seat and seriously watching the game. Erica and Ariadne kept asking him questions about what was happening and whether or not it was going well. He gave them a very deadpan play-by-play of the game and when Beacon Hills won everyone jumped up to cheer.

Immediately, Ariadne looked around for Isaac but she didn't see him on the field. Looking around, Ariadne absently made her way down the bleachers and onto the field. "Hey, Ariadne!" Stiles called as she searched the field for Isaac. She turned to smile at Stiles as he approached her, vigorously wrapping her in a big hug to which she chuckled.

"Congrats on the win!" she yelled over the roar of the students swarming around them. They instinctively leaned their heads closer together in order to hear each other. "Have you seen Isaac? He ran off and I can't find him."

Stiles quirked a knowing smile and Ariadne blushed. "You want to go celebrate with him, huh?" he teased lackadaisically and Ariadne blushed further, bobbing her head up and down. Stiles chuckled before saying, "Are you two dating now? Cause I don't think I could take seeing another happy couple at school."

Ariadne's smile faded a little as she thought about Stiles's question. "I don't really know what we are," she admitted softly. They'd hadn't talked about putting any kind of label on their relationship. There was definitely something there but suddenly Ariadne wasn't sure anymore. She wasn't sure if it needed to be official. Did she have to do something specific? Did they need to "come out"? What if Isaac didn't want to put a label on it? What if he didn't want to be boyfriend and girlfriend?

"Whoa," Stiles cut through her train of thought with a chuckle. "I didn't realize I asked such a deep question. I haven't seen Isaac since the last goal. Stick around the school though; he probably went into the locker room. If I see him and I'll send him your way."

"Thanks," she mumbled, blushing. Stiles smiled, tapping her shoulder as he headed in the opposite direction. The students slowly filed off the field to after parties and whatnot. Ariadne really had no interest in celebrating the win with anyone but Isaac so she stuck close by the school entrance hoping to catch him entering or exiting. She'd lost Erica and Boyd in the mess of students so she leaned against the brick wall of the school alone, her hands tucked within the warmth of her jacket. Almost forty minutes after the final whistle blew, Ariadne still hadn't seen Isaac and most of, if not all of the students were gone.

Sucking in a deep breath, Ariadne entered the school and headed in the direction of the locker room. She hadn't made eye contact with Isaac once throughout the game so there was a chance he hadn't seen her there and just went home. Isaac never hung out with anyone but Erica and Boyd so he probably had no interest in going to the after parties either.

Ariadne approached the boy's locker room and hesitated outside the door. The lights were off but she could hear a shower running inside. She didn't want to run into some stranger in the boy's locker room at school but she made the decision to enter anyway.

The heel of her boots clicked against the linoleum floor as she walked further into the room. She passed the lockers and approached the shower stalls. There was very little light throughout the entire locker room and the giant wall fan made an unsettling buffeting noise as the blades cut through the air.

"Isaac?" Ariadne whispered as she entered the shower stalls. She turned slightly to the left but there was no one there, just one of the showers turned on running to the floor. Heart beating wildly, Ariadne suddenly felt a hand touch her shoulder.

Gasping, Ariadne turned on her heels, smacking away the hand viciously. But as soon as she saw who was behind her she breathed a sigh of relief and apologized. "How do you manage to do that so often?" she asked Isaac as she caught her breath once again. Isaac smiled innocently, apologizing softly under his breath. That's when Ariadne noticed he was shirtless. She had to remind herself not to stare, as she desperately wanted to touch his skin. All he was wearing were exercise shorts and looking past him Ariadne could see his equipment bag on the floor with a tee shirt hanging out of it.

"What are you doing here?" Isaac asked self-consciously as he caught her counting his abdominal muscles. He quickly scurried over to his equipment bag and pulled his shirt over his head. When he turned back around Ariadne was blushing.

"I came to find you after the game. Boyd said you did really well," she said with a chuckle. Isaac smiled, making a mental note to spend more time teaching her about the game. "I sat with him and Erica. They're pretty cool,"

"They're my only friends," Isaac joked honestly. Ariadne nodded in agreement, shuffling her feet and not making eye contact with him. "What's wrong?" he asked softly, tilting her chin up with his index finger.

She simpered, still not wanting to look him in the eye. "It's silly," she mumbled, twisting her fingers into knots. Isaac ducked his head to catch her eye, smiling encouragingly at her. "It's just something Stiles said…got me thinking…"

Isaac waited patiently for her to continue. She untwisted her fingers and ran them through her hair, feeling sillier than ever for brining up the subject. "What are we?" she finally murmured quizzically. "Like…are we…dating? Are you my boyfriend?" she asked shyly, looking more innocent than Isaac could ever imagine.

Isaac thought for a second before saying, "Do you want me to be your boyfriend?" with his eyebrows raised. Ariadne smiled adorably, bobbing her head up and down. Isaac returned the smile, reaching out to wrap his arms around her waist and pull her close to his chest. Ariadne looked up at him, her cheeks literally hurting from smiling so wide, and hooked her arms around his neck.

"Than I'll be your boyfriend." Isaac said sweetly, leaning his forehead against hers.

"Okay," she whispered sweetly before kissing him hard on the lips.

* * *

Author's Note: A very simple chapter but it kinda gets the ball rolling for the next few chapters. I'll be skipping a few weeks so their relationship can progress naturally then we'll deal with the werewolf in the room.

I want to start replying to your reviews but barely anyone leaves any :( So for now I'll reply to the one I did get last chapter but I'd really like to see some more! Pleaseeeee :)

MandeePotter: Thank you so much! It's always nice to hear my story pleases someone :)

As always you can check out Ariadne's outfit on my Polyvore (samitballi. polyvore. com) This outfit is called Lacrosse. Thanks :)


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note: Thank you so much for all your support! I've reached the point where I no longer have prewritten chapters so I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out. I hope to finish it sometime in the next day or so then I'll edit it and try to get it to you next week :) I got so many wonderful reviews on my last chapter and I'm soooooo grateful for that! Thank you to the moon and back!1!

**Wombaline: Thank you!**

**caught-offsides: I'm a sucker for those 'couply' scenes too! Though things are gonna get kind rough coming up here soon...**

**Al: Thank you!**

**coolchicken47: Thank you! I wish to do your hopes justice :)**

**Sarah Jane: Thank you! I love reading a story in bulk! I'm honored you'd spend so much time on my story :)**

**Lahey: Congrats on being the best reviewer I think I've ever gotten lol! Your review was pure gold! I gather you want Isaac to tell her he's a werewolf, huh? ;) haha only time will tell!**

**Kailyn: Thank you!**

Enjoy!

* * *

The following few weeks were better than anyone could've imagined. Finally putting a label on their relationship somehow brought Isaac and Ariadne closer to each other, as well as to their friends. Ariadne spent an increasing amount of time with Erica and Boyd and Isaac even went over to Ariadne's house for dinner again. Everyone was surprisingly cool with Isaac and Ariadne dating. Everyone but Jackson, who made his opinion very clear when he tried to turn on the charm the following weekend at Ariadne's house when him and his parents had dinner with Mark and Taylor. Ariadne somehow made it through the evening without flipping out on anyone. She was partners with Jackson in her Economy class so she seized the opportunity the following day to inform him that he just wasn't her type.

"I'm everyone's type," Jackson retorted with a smile, getting too close to her face. Ariadne chuckled as she leaned back in her seat, patting his shoulder.

"At least you're confident. Look, I've decided to join the swim team. But you gotta be cool, alright? Isaac and I are dating now and I really don't want to screw it up. And your stalking me is doing just that. So any rapey language or creepy lingering stares stay out of Isaac's line of sight, alright?"

Jackson covered his chuckle with a cough. "I prefer to think of it as admiring from afar." He whispered, winking at her. Ariadne giggled, shaking her head. He probably wasn't going to give up but at least she'd made an effort. Plus it helped that everyone else in the school knew she was with Isaac. At least they knew nothing was going on.

It was hard for Isaac and Ariadne to keep their PDA to a minimal during school. They were lucky enough not to have any classes together but they always sat together at lunch and tried to meet up in the halls between classes. Mostly Ariadne stuck close to Erica considering most people left her alone that way. Everyone seemed intimidated by Erica which worked to Ariadne's benefit considering every guy suddenly took full notice of her once she joined the swim team. Though their competition suits were horrendously unattractive, her practice suits were anything but. She caught everyone attention which apparently meant they had the right to talk to her whenever they wanted. She even had a few girls express interest in her. But every day she declined everyone and went to Isaac's side.

That is until four weeks later when she didn't even show up to school at all on a Tuesday. Isaac and Erica were waiting near her locker when school started and when they didn't see her they quietly worried but went on with their classes anyway. It wasn't until lunch that Isaac began to panic a little. He tried calling her cell phone but it went straight to the answering machine.

Erica was the one to walk over to Stiles and ask if he'd seen their mutual friend. Stiles shook his head, saying, "She wasn't in any of our usual classes. Why? Is something wrong?"

Erica shrugged. "Don't know yet," she replied, walking back to Isaac who was still trying to call her. The sweat dewing on his forehead was starting to dampen his curly sand colored hair.

"What if…" Isaac barely got the words out before Boyd shook his head.

"I'm sure she just got sick. She's fine, man." He said reassuringly but Isaac was still worried. Looking around the cafeteria, he also couldn't see Jackson either. That's when his panic turned into full on repulsion. He grabbed his backpack and ran from the cafeteria, Erica and Boyd on his heels.

"I'm gonna check her house," he shouted over his shoulder as he grabbed his bike and took off out of the parking lot. Erica and Boyd shared a loaded glance before heading back into the school with every intention to find Jackson. They would check every inch of the building if they had to. No one wanted to believe Ariadne could be hurt. Not her.

Isaac's bike tires skidded to a stop outside Ariadne's house less than ten minutes after he left the school. As he approached the front door his phone buzzed in his pocket. He opened Erica's text and read it to himself.

'Found the Lizard Boy-ehm, Jackson' it read and relief coursed through his veins. He sighed, exiting the text and calling Ariadne once more. He finally heard her voice when she answered; but she sounded hoarse and as if she was ten years older than sixteen.

"Hey! You weren't at school so I got worried. Are you okay?" he asked frantically, looking around the house and noticing Ariadne's car in the driveway.

"That's sweet of you but I'm fine." She lied and he could hear her sniffle, further worrying him.

"What's wrong? Are you okay? I'm outside, can I come in?" Isaac asked but was greeted with a long silent pause. He looked up at Ariadne's bedroom window hoping she'd look out so he could reassure himself that she was in fact okay.

"Yeah, the door is unlocked." Ariadne finally mumbled and that's all Isaac needed before he entered the house. He paused momentarily to text Erica that he found her before walking up the stairs and going straight to Ariadne's bedroom door. Knocking lightly, he could hear Ariadne scurry about her room before opening the door.

She was a mess; and for someone as beautiful as Ariadne, it took a lot to make her look such a way. Her hair was tangled in no particular style and he could already see there were multiple knots in it. She was wearing plaid pajama pants and a tee shirt both easily three sizes too big for her and there was a hole in the side of the shirt. It was faded but he could make out the USMC emblem on the front. She wasn't wearing socks but she was shivering cold. Then there was her bloodshot eyes and tear stained cheeks. She was bright red but this time it wasn't because of embarrassment.

She had a light blue cup of tea in her hand that she set aside so Isaac could hold her hand. They sat next to each other on the end of her bed, silent for a minute. "You can tell me," Isaac whispered softly. Her small smile was touched with sadness.

"It's okay, I'll be fine." She lied and Isaac didn't believe her. He waited for her to speak, gently rubbing circles on the back of her hand with his thumb. "It's been eight years since my mom disappeared," Ariadne finally said after a long minute of silence. "And every year on the anniversary of her…disappearance…I Google her name. I don't really know what I'm looking for, maybe a Facebook page or a blog or something. I always come up dry but this morning when I looked…I found this…"

She got up from the bed and walked quietly over to her desk where she picked up a piece of printer paper and handed it to Isaac. It was a photocopy of a newspaper article so Isaac began to read it. But he knew the reason for Ariadne's tears by just reading the headline.

**Woman Killed in Car Accident**

Isaac finished the article before tossing it aside and wrapping Ariadne in a hug. "I'm sorry," he whispered as she collapsed into his chest and started to sob. Isaac held her close as the strength of her tears caused her to shake.

"I didn't know her," Ariadne cried out, hiccupping. "But now I'll never get the chance." The sympathy that overcame Isaac almost made him tear up. He focused his energy on calming her but he wasn't doing too well as she just kept crying. She curled into him as he coed sympathetic words in her ear, rocking her back and forth as he held her incredibly close. It was a good fifteen minutes before she was calm enough for Isaac to go downstairs to refresh her tea.

"You don't have to stay with me. I'm a total mess!" she said self-consciously as he returned with a fresh cup of tea. He shook his head defiantly.

"No I want to stay with you," he told her honestly, making a happy tear slide down her cheek. She mouthed "thank you" but no sound came out. She just curled into a ball and leaned against him, sipping her tea gingerly and laying her head against his shoulder.

"Do Mark and Taylor know yet?" Isaac asked after a few minutes of silence.

Ariadne shook her head. "They left for work before I even found it. I don't know if I'll even tell them. They didn't know her, why would they care?"

"I think they'd care because you do," Isaac replied. "I didn't know her either but I care just because you do- because it effects you therefore it effects me."

Ariadne looked up at him, some unknown intense emotion in her perfect blue eyes. Suddenly she kissed him hard on the mouth and when they pulled apart Isaac quirked an eyebrow. "Why'd you do that?" he whispered and she smiled.

Ariadne just shrugged and captured his lips once more. "I just really, really like you."

XXX

Everyone had questions for Ariadne the following day when she returned to school but she just told everyone she woke up sick. Stiles seemed the most concerned but he brushed it off by saying he missed having someone sit on the bench with him during lacrosse practice. Ariadne stuck by Isaac all morning, only parting until they had milliseconds to get to their separate classes. She was really grateful to him for sticking by her. She was a mess all day, crying on and off for hours. Eventually they wound up curling up together on Ariadne's bed where she continued to cry until she finally passed out with her head tucked in the crook of his neck. Thankfully it was a day wherein Mark and Taylor were at work until nine o'clock, giving Ariadne plenty of time to cope.

She decided not to tell Mark or Taylor about her mother's death. They didn't need to know, it didn't affect them. But she really wished she could talk to her father. In the last four weeks Ariadne had gotten one phone call and a three-minute video chat with him. She was dying to tell him what she'd found but at the same time she was scared to.

After school Wednesday, Ariadne went to her locker to gather the books she'd need for homework. Erica appeared out of nowhere, making Ariadne jump and shove the blond backwards into the locker, yelling, "Stop doing that!" with a chuckle.

Erica laughed, tossing her blond curls over her shoulder. "I can't help it if you're an easy target." She teased, causing Ariadne to roll her eyes and slam her locker. She tossed her backpack over her should as they walked down the hall towards Isaac's locker.

"Have any plans after school?" Ariadne asked as they walked but Erica didn't have a chance to respond before they found Isaac and the two lovebirds immediately kissed. Erica made a show of disgust as Ariadne wrapped her arms around Isaac's waist and kissed him with a smile.

"I'm going to vomit," she deadpanned. When the two pulled apart Ariadne chuckled, turning a bright shade of red. "Have fun catching mono you two. Call me later or whatever." Erica tossed over her shoulder as she walked away from her two best friends.

"Don't be jealous of me, Erica!" Ariadne teased as Erica continued to walk away.

Smiling, Erica turned to wink at Ariadne. "I'm more jealous of Isaac." She purred with a sexy smile, turning back around before Ariadne had a chance to respond.

"Do I have to worry about Erica stealing you from me?" Isaac asked with a chuckle as he gathered his things and they walked outside. Ariadne chuckled as she grabbed his hand, lacing her fingers between his.

"She is rather gorgeous…" Ariadne said thoughtfully and chuckled at Isaac's worried expression. "But I currently prefer you." she covered, leaning into him.

"_Currently_?" Isaac clarified, raising an eyebrow at her. They stopped at the steps, leaning against the railing as Ariadne reached up on her tiptoes to kiss him. What was supposed to be a quick peck on the lips quickly turned into something much more and the two had to pull away suddenly. There were multiple kids staring at them, making both of them blush.

"Do you want to come over to…" Ariadne was in the middle of asking when a strong voice called Isaac's name. They both turned towards the sound, searching out the voice. It was a tall man with piercing green eyes and jet black hair, leaning against his all black Chevy Camaro with his hands tucked into his handsome leather jacket. The man was strong and powerful, his gaze acute, as he waited for Isaac to respond.

"Umm, Derek this is Ariadne. Ariadne this is Derek Hale, the friend I've been staying with." Isaac mumbled awkwardly, gesturing between the two. It would be an understatement to say Isaac was shocked to see his Alpha smile at Ariadne. He was more than shocked; he was stunned, completely baffled and maybe even a little jealous considering Derek never smiled at anyone.

"Hi," Derek said clearly, shaking hands with Ariadne who returned his smile. "Isaac's told me a lot about you."

Isaac blushed as Ariadne peeked over at him from the corner of her eye. She smiled as she said, "I'm honored. Unfortunately he doesn't talk about you much."

Derek just smiled at her, returning his hands to his pockets. "Were you two headed somewhere?" he asked, looking between them for a response. Isaac felt awkward standing between his girlfriend and his Alpha. It almost felt like a 'meet the parents' kind of moment.

"We were going to go back to my house but if you need Isaac we can always hang out another time." Ariadne replied, looking over at Isaac who refused to make eye contact with anyone. He just shoved his hands far down in his jean pockets and tried to disappear.

"Well thanks," Derek replied, pulling his keys out of his pocket and opening his car door. Ariadne waved, shouting 'nice to meet you' over the sound of Derek's car revving to life. "You too, Ariadne" he replied with a breathtaking smile as he sat in the driver seat waiting for Isaac who turned to Ariadne and kissed her cheek quickly.

"I'll see you later?" he mumbled before she turned his chin and kissed him on the lips.

"Absolutely," she swore with a smile before ushering him away. Isaac was smiling like an idiot when he scrambled into the passenger seat of Derek's Camaro.

"Wow," Derek mumbled under his breath as he pulled the car out of the high school parking lot. "I could literally feel the awkward." He teased, a chuckle on his lips.

Isaac shot Derek a sour look, grumbling about shutting up and asking why he needed him right away. Derek explained his reason for picking Isaac up from school as he drove away, checking his mirror as he did so. He saw Ariadne standing by her car, watching the Camaro drive away before getting in her own car. There was a touch of sadness when Derek smiled at the view of her.

"What?" Isaac snapped, turning in his seat to look where Derek was.

"Nothing," Derek sighed heavily. "I just hope it works out for you two; she seems nice."

_At least she's not an Argent_, he added mentally, shaking his head. At least one of the Beacon Hills werewolves hadn't fallen for the enemy.

* * *

Author's Note: As always you can check out Ariadne's outfit on my Polyvore (Samitballi. Polyvore. com) this outfit is called 'Crumbling'

_Important question: Do you guys want Jackson to be a 'bad guy' in this story or would you rather see a relationship- friendship- bud between him and Ariadne? I'm torn between making him malicious or misunderstood so your input would mean a lot! Thanks :)_


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Note: Big ol' thank you to all of my lovely followers and reviewers! You make me smile :) Your reviews consistently make me want to write. Almost as soon as I get the email saying I've gotten more reviews I sit down to write. So thanks! :)

**Wombaline: **Her mom died in a car accident :(

**Coolchicken47: **I'm sure you wont like this chapter much then ;) haha I think my bias towards Colton Haynes makes me like Jackson

**nicolapls: **Thanks :) Looks like someone else who won't like this chapter :p lol

**XxXBeautifulXxXDreamerXxX: **Thanks for your input :)

**caught-offsides: **I LOVE SWEET DERKE MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE ON EARTH! Okay maybe that's an exaggeration...but I LOVE IT! lol

**Kaioo: **My idea is to explore his true character (why he so desperately wants to be seen as a douche) and maybe make an ally out of Ariadne since I feel as if they can relate to some extent. I'm intrigued by Jackson and I think Ariadne would be as well. We'll see how things turn out :) Thanks!

**Sam0728: **Welcome! It takes place in season 2 but I'm not really following the actual plot of the show. Like at all. LOL I'm taking a lot of creative liberties when it comes to the actual timeline/plot of the TV show. It's almost AU in the lack of consistency to the show hahaha! Thanks! Define "badly" ;) hehehe

* * *

"Wait, wait, wait, I need to stop! God I can't breathe," Ariadne panted, doubling over, bracing her hands on her knees and huffing deep breaths. Erica rolled her eyes dramatically and pushed Ariadne over onto a nearby bench. "How can you stand it? We've been shopping for five hours and you're still not tired."

Erica chuckled, plopping down next to her friend. "I'm skilled in the art form of shopping." She teased, rifling through her multiple bags. They were sitting in the middle of the crowded mall sometime around lunch, bags strewn all around their feet. Ariadne had suggested they take the shopping trip because she was running out of warm things to wear. Erica was game from the second Ariadne slipped the word shopping into the conversation. Little did Ariadne know, Erica hadn't gone shopping with a girl in ages.

"It's like a freaking sport to you." Ariadne laughed, sitting up a little straighter and reaching into the Macy's bag at Erica's feet. "I still need to get a new jacket then I think I'm done." She said as she riffled through the bags. She was wearing her last clean long sleeve shirt- a tan one with an owl on the front- and black skinny jeans. The tan ankle boots she frequently wore were already getting ratty so she mentally added boots to her shopping list for next time.

"Oh you're far from done. There's no way we're leaving this mall without first going in _there_." Erica retorted, pointing across the mall at the massive Victoria's Secret.

Ariadne blushed just looking at the store. "Oh hell no. You are not dragging me into that god-forsaken store. Nope, not gonna happen, sorry."

Erica rolled her eyes yet again, giving Ariadne a look. "It's my duty to make sure you look your best for Isaac." She said with a wink, causing Ariadne to literally hide her face. "I mean…you guys have…_you know_…right?" Erica continued, pausing.

Ariadne made a face, shrugging. "We're…getting there…eventually…" Ariadne mumbled, watching as Erica's jaw fell open with an audible pop. "No don't give me that look! It's totally normal for two people not to have sex when they're dating."

"Not when those two people are some of the most gorgeous people on earth!" Erica insisted. "You said it yourself, Ari, you can't take your eyes or hands off Isaac. So what the hell is stopping you from jumping that boy's bones?"

Ariadne was pretty sure the color of her skin was permanently red as she continued to squirm under the weight of the awkward conversation. "We just haven't done it yet, Erica. I'm not saying we won't or that I don't want to, just for now we haven't done it so drop it." she pleaded pathetically.

Erica sighed heavily. "Fine, but I'm still dragging you into that store." Ariadne immediately began to protest but Erica cut her off. "When you do go at it with Isaac you want to look sexy right?" she asked and Ariadne had to nod. "So we're going in that store and buying you something sexy to wear when you have sex with Isaac- whenever that may be."

Erica promptly stood up, holding out her hand to Ariadne to grasp, pulling her up from the bench. Ariadne protested the whole way into the store, feeling more uncomfortable than ever in her life. Erica made a point of picking the skimpiest and sexiest pieces, causing Ariadne to literally shake with embarrassment.

"Don't be ashamed of your sexuality." Erica chastised as they walked about the store. Erica had a few things for her own wardrobe as well as a handful of items for Ariadne. If the 'Alpha-bite-make-over' taught Erica anything it's that you gotta flaunt what you have. Coming into her skin was the best thing to ever happen to Erica; for once she was finally confident in her own ski; she fit.

"I'm not ashamed of my sexuality, Erica." Ariadne snapped, stepping to close to the blond. "I'm embarrassed by everyone else _staring_ at my sexuality."

Erica just chuckled at her, tossing a few lacy bras at Ariadne before shoving her into a changing room. Ariadne played along, trying on lacy intimate after another, refusing to step out of the changing room. Until finally Erica tossed a black and pink lacy set over the door. Ariadne slid into the skimpy outfit and paused, staring into the mirror like it was the first time she'd seen herself.

"Well? How does it look?" Erica asked, chuckling at the up tick in Ariadne's heartbeat.

"Umm…" was all Ariadne could mumble as she turned this way and that, staring at herself in the mirror. For the first time in all her life, Ariadne looked in the mirror and thought, _damn_. She really did look good.

"I need your opinion." She finally said, cracking the door and pulling Erica into the changing room. It was rewarding to see Erica's jaw drop. "What do you think?" Ariadne asked, spinning a little.

"Holy shit," Erica whispered, her eyes wide. There was a long pause as they both just stared at Ariadne's reflection in the mirror. "I swear to God if Isaac doesn't fuck you, I will." Erica teased, making Ariadne blush and giggle.

"I don't look _that_ good but it's nice, right?"

"Nice doesn't even begin to cover it! Damn girl, you're a bombshell!" Erica cheered. Ariadne had a tight stomach and strong legs from swimming so she could pull off the skimpy lace set. She somehow managed to cram her breasts into the bra and for once they didn't look as if they were about to fall out. Usually a push-up bra made Ariadne look too chesty and a tad ridiculous. But this bra seemed to be perfect. And the lace panties extenuated her ass perfectly.

"You're getting it," Erica demanded; her voice conveying the lack of conversation. It was a done deal. Whether Erica had to buy it herself, Ariadne wasn't leaving that mall without the perfect bra/panty set.

Erica exited the dressing room and gathered the items she was buying for herself. She sauntered over to the counter and waited in line, her phone buzzing in her pocket. The caller ID said it was Isaac so Erica answered with a cheeky smile, knowing the fun her best friend would have with the outfit they were buying for Ariadne.

Isaac informed Erica about the impromptu training session Derek was insisting on but just as Erica was about to reply, Ariadne walked out of the dressing room, also on her cell phone. Ariadne clung to the wall as far from Erica as possible, trying to not to let the blond over hear the conversation.

"No…I'm at the mall…Erica, we're at Victoria's Secret…shut up." Ariadne was saying, chuckling. Erica leaned further over, telling Isaac to be quiet for a second as she listened to Ariadne's conversation from across the room. "I can't tonight…I know, I have to work on my butterfly as well…I'll see what Erica wants to do but I make no promises, Jackson. Okay…I'll call you later."

Erica swiveled to face Ariadne, hanging up on Isaac. "Who was that?" she asked as Ariadne made her way into the line beside Erica.

"Oh just Jackson, he wanted to meet at the gym tonight. He offered to help with my butterfly in exchange for help with his breast stroke." Ariadne replied as she slipped her phone into her pink purse. "Don't tell Isaac though, okay? I'm afraid he's getting kind of jealous about the time I've been spending with Jackson."

"How much time have you been spending with Jackson?"

Ariadne just shrugged. "Not too much but we're on the swim team and we have a bunch of classes together so it's kinda hard to avoid him. We're just getting to know each other is all."

"You want to get to know Jackson? He's an ass," Erica replied bitterly as they took a step forward in line.

Ariadne chuckled. "Not once you get to know him. Sure he has his moments, but I don't know, he's not so bad after a while. When it's just him and I at the pool he's totally great but he's pretty caught up in his outward appearance at school. He's got that asshole athlete thing going and for now he wants to keep it that way. But underneath I think he's a good guy."

Erica watched Ariadne closely; worry crawling along her skin like a spider. "Sounds like you like him." She said slowly,

"I do," Ariadne said as they took another step up to the counter. Conversation stopped for a minute as the girls paid for their items. The lady behind the desk gave Ariadne a knowing smile as she rung up the sexy set she was purchasing. Ariadne just blushed and handed her the necessary money.

"I like Jackson, but only as a friend of course. I wish he'd get back together with Lydia." Ariadne said once they exited the store.

"Honestly," Erica said, stopping her on their way out of the mall. "It sounds like you _like him like him_; as in more than friends. I'm not saying that's the case but that's the way it sounds. So keep your description of Jackson to yourself. Isaac isn't jealous yet but if you keep talking about Jackson that way he's gonna get jealous real fast."

XXX

After dropping off Erica at her house, Ariadne went straight to the school to meet Jackson. She went to the locker rooms to change into her suit before grabbing a towel and heading to the pool where Jackson was already waiting for her, casually swimming around. Tossing her towel aside, Ariadne dropped into the pool next to him, the shock of the cool water jolting her momentarily.

"Thanks for coming," Jackson said as she acclimated herself to the crisp water. "If we're gonna dominate the meet Wednesday I'm really gonna have to work."

Ariadne ran a hand through her hair, trying to wipe the water from her face with a wet hand. "You're the second best swimmer on the team, Jackson." She teased with a chuckle. "I'm sure you'll do fine. What's with the urgency?"

Jackson sighed, leaning on the edge of the pool. "I just want to be good, alright?" he retorted cryptically.

"But why? Second best isn't good enough? You're still going to win, whether or not your stroke is perfect. Your form may be off but your speed is unparalleled." Ariadne replied truthfully, leaning on the wall next to him. He looked over at her, staring her evenly in the eye. She could almost sense the underlying issue Jackson refused to tell her about.

She'd learned he was adopted but thought nothing of it until she started to pay closer attention to his actions and realized his history affected almost everything about him. Everything Jackson did could tie back to his parents and his family. It was as if he needed to please his birth parents- people he'd never met- with every single thing he did. He had no identity without them around, an idea very familiar to Ariadne.

"You know," Ariadne began after a minute of silence. "When I was a kid my mom skipped out on my dad and I. She just left without really telling anyone why and for a long time I didn't know what to do with myself. I felt like, in losing my mom, I also lost a little bit of myself; almost as if she'd taken my personality with her." Ariadne leaned her chin against the wall, looking away from Jackson who just kept his eyes trained on her.

"For a while I experimented," Ariadne continued. "I changed my clothes, my hair, what I liked and what I didn't like. I changed my friends, my outlook, hell I even changed the way I talked. Every time I started a new school I created a new version of myself, someone cooler or more athletic or smarter. But at the end of the day, I would strip away whatever bravado I created and fall asleep crying. Because the two people, who shaped me, brought me into existence, were never around. And…I guess to me that meant I was nothing without them."

After Ariadne finished talking, silence hung over them. The only sound between the two of them was the water lapping against the wall with every kick of their feet. Finally Ariadne looked over at Jackson, surprised to find him looking passionately back at her. She sucked in a deep breath, uncomfortable under his intense scrutiny.

"Why did you tell me that?" Jackson asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Ariadne paused for a second. "Cause you're not alone." She finally said. "You're not the only one who doesn't know who they are. This is high school; we're not supposed to know who we are. We're supposed to be figuring that out amidst a slew of moronic mistakes."

Jackson smiled a little as he watched Ariadne talk. He watched the way her lips moved as she spoke, water dripping down her chin. She had excellent bone structure, something Jackson could appreciate, and for the first time he noticed she had freckles sprinkled over her cheeks and nose. Of course he'd noticed how beautiful her eyes were but with the reflection of the blue pool water around them, her electric sapphire eyes just became all the more beautiful. And for a minute Jackson had to resist the urge to kiss her. Not just because she was incredibly beautiful but also because she understood. She got him. The first person that looked past his cheekbones and emerald eyes and saw his soul.

Ariadne's chuckle broke Jackson's concentration and suddenly she was gone, underwater. When she popped back up, she was behind him, lined up at the wall. "So are we going to swim or what?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow at him. Jackson smiled, shaking his head and swimming over next to her.

For the next hour, Ariadne and Jackson swam back and forth. He helped her with her breaststroke and she helped him perfect his butterfly but by the end of the hour they were laughing and goofing off, trying to dunk each other rather than swimming. When Ariadne looked up at the clock and saw the time she swore under her breath and hurried out of the pool to change. Once she was back in plain clothes she explained to Jackson that she needed to be home before Mark and Taylor or else they'd get worried.

"They have no idea what they are doing so they resort to worrying when I'm out past nine." Ariadne said with a chuckle as they walked out to the parking lot together. Ariadne popped her trunk open to toss her gym bag in but one of her shopping bags fell out in the process.

Jackson bent to pick it up but Ariadne tried to snatch it from his hands as soon as she saw what had fallen out. "What do we have here?" Jackson asked in a low sexual voice as he held up the lacy set Eric made her buy. Ariadne turned the brightest shade of red she could imagine as she tried to grab the bra from Jackson's fingers.

"Give that back! That's private!" she exclaimed as she jumped to grab the garment. Once she got a hold of it she quickly stuffed it back in the Macy's bag and slammed the trunk shut.

"Giving Isaac a little show, huh?" Jackson teased, leaning casually against her car. Ariadne turned scarlet red as she fiddled nervously with her keys.

"_No_…Erica made my buy it…she said it looked nice on so…I got it…" Ariadne mumbled anxiously, looking anywhere but at Jackson.

"Oh I'm sure it looks _nice_ on." Jackson retorted, winking at her. Ariadne chuckled, shoving him aside so she could open her car door.

"And on that inappropriate note," she said with a giggle as she slid into the seat and closed the door. Jackson laughed as he moved away from the car and watched her turn on the engine. Cranking the heat on high, Ariadne waved to Jackson before pulling out of the parking lot. A few minutes later she saw his Porsche pull out behind her, going the opposite direction.

Hair still wet, Ariadne shivered a little, trying to warm herself to no avail. When she got home she immediately got in the shower, turning the heat up until it was steaming the entire bathroom. Getting out and stepping onto the cool tile floor was torture but she quickly dried off and got into her pajamas. Lying down, Ariadne was almost asleep when the sound of knuckles rapping against her window jolted her upright. Still on the edge of slumber, Ariadne tumbled over the side of her bed and crawled over to the window where she pulled aside the curtain only to come face to face with Isaac.

"What are you doing?" she asked as she threw open the window and looked behind him at the tree branch he was very precariously perched on. She had to chuckle at how ridiculous his position was as he tried to balance his weight on one small tree branch. But she was also impressed, because it couldn't have been easy to climb the two-story tree.

"I wanted to see you but I wasn't too sure if Mark and Taylor would be thrilled with the idea considering it's almost eleven." Isaac said with an adorable smile. Ariadne had to return the gesture as she moved aside so he could crawl through the open window. Once he was through she slammed it shut and closed the curtain.

All the lights were off so she turned on the fairy lights she had bordering the ceiling, creating a dim orange light throughout the room. Isaac looked about the room, noting her messy bed and pajama clad body and asked, "Did I wake you? If you want to go back to bed that's okay I can leave." with an awkward smile.

Ariadne returned the gesture as she went to sit on the bed. "I was asleep but I'd much rather see you." she said honestly, patting the bed beside her. Isaac immediately went to her side and sat down as close to her as possible. Lacing their fingers together, Ariadne leaned into him, her head resting on his shoulder.

"Where did you go after you went shopping today?" Isaac asked casually. He knew where she'd gone and not just because he followed her but also because he could still smell the chlorine in her hair. In an attempt to keep her safe Isaac all but shattered his own heart as he followed her to the school where she pulled over next to Jackson's Porsche and didn't pull away when he hugged her. Isaac didn't bother going inside to watch them but it didn't make a difference. There was still _something_ there.

Ariadne stiffened ever so slightly next to him. "Nowhere special," she replied cryptically, turning her chin up so she could kiss his lips. Twisting her fingers in his hair, Ariadne let her lips part, tracing his bottom lip with her tongue. Isaac pulled her closer to his body with just one hand around her waist, the other resting on her thigh. They leaned into the kiss, their skin starting to tingle as the sensation of each other took over.

Curling his fingers, Isaac grabbed Ariadne's thigh almost roughly in his hand and hoisted it over his hip so she was straddling his waist. He could taste the smirk on her lips as they continued to kiss, moving until they were laying on her bed. Isaac ran his fingers up and down her legs, wishing to toss aside the flannel pants that got in the way. Instead, he slipped his fingers under her cotton tee shirt and caressed the hot skin of her firm yet tender stomach. Ariadne subsequently leaned her head backwards, granting him full access to kiss her neck, making her eyes slide shut. Isaac's lips moved effortlessly against her neck as she started to pull on his shirt, trying to get rid of the problematic fabric.

Leaning back, Isaac pulled his shirt away and tossed it aside before Ariadne ripped it off. Her fingers immediately found his skin as she stroked the impressive muscles stacked on his abdomen. Lacing his fingers in her hair, Isaac rolled until he was on top of her, kissing her once more. It wasn't until Ariadne started to pepper kisses down his chest that Isaac remembered they needed to stop, because as much as he wanted to keep going, he couldn't take advantage of Ariadne that way. Not when he was hiding the world's biggest secret from her.

Pulling away slightly, Isaac stroked her cheek softly. "We need to slow down," he whispered, his voice barely audible as he leaned his forehead against hers. She blinked a few times, trying to regain her breath.

"Is something wrong? Did I do something…" Ariadne started to ask but Isaac was already shaking his head.

"No you didn't do anything wrong. I'm a teenage boy and you're kissing me; so no you haven't done anything wrong." Isaac joked, making her giggle. He moved to lay next to her, wrapping his arms around her waist once more so they were chest to chest. "I just don't want this to go too far before we're ready."

"What if I'm ready?" Ariadne asked softly, looking him square between the eyes as she played with one of his curls. Isaac smiled even if he had to control his breathing.

"There are just some things I want to happen before we go there." Isaac replied, sighing heavily. _For instance,_ he added mentally, _you have to find out I'm a werewolf. But of course I'm terrified to tell you because I'm petrified you'll run away screaming._

"Such a thinker," Ariadne mused with a small smile as she ran her fingers over the crease between his eyes. Isaac simpered, reaching up to capture her hand and kiss her fingers. He went to move out of the bed but Ariadne caught his waist before he could stand up. "Don't leave, stay here." She whispered, wrapping her arms around his body and resting her cheek against his bare back.

"Are you sure?" he asked, tilting his head to look at her. She nodded, leaving her chin against his shoulder. He smiled, kissing her one last time before he laid back down beside her. She immediately curled into him, her head resting in the crook of his neck as he wrapped his arms around her, their feet tangling together under her blankets. Exhausted, Ariadne began to fall asleep almost immediately but Isaac laid awake for a while listening to her heartbeat.

Once her breathing evened out and her jaw fell slack, Isaac sighed heavily. Tonight was another example of why he needed to tell her the truth. But he couldn't find the right words. He couldn't say it out loud. Not when her perfect blue eyes were staring back at him or her soft little hands were laced in his. He couldn't break her heart that way. He couldn't drive that massive a wedge between them. But by not telling her, he was causing an even bigger issue.

Isaac ran a hand down his face, sighing once again. _Just say it!_ he yelled at himself. Why couldn't he just say it? If Scott could tell Allison why couldn't he just tell Ariadne?

"Hey, Ariadne, I'm a werewolf." He mumbled softly with a chuckle, feeling her breath still even on his chest. She remained peacefully asleep while Isaac tried to find the right way to break her heart.

* * *

Author's Note: Thanks for reading :) I personally don't like this chapter very much. I don't think it was well written at all. But hopefully next time will be better.

As always you can check out Ariadne's shopping outfit (and lingerie hehe) on my Polyvore (samitballi. polyvore. com) under the title "Like Him Like Him"

Thanks :)


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Note: And we're back :) I'm so unbelievably upset with the news about Colton :( Unfortunately I put a lot of Jackson in this story so now every time I write for it I get sad lol But I love Colton and I wish him the best :)

Let's hit up those reviews:

**Sam0278: **Well I guess we'll just have to wait and see how she reacts ;) Thanks!

**XxXBeautifulXxXDreamerXxX: **Thank you very much :)

**werewolf18:** Thank you! I appreciate it :)

Sorry this chapter is so short :/ I wound up cut it up to make chapter 11 better. It flows better having this one shorter but given that it's not very much I may upload 11 faster than usual...we'll see :)

Enjoy!

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Ariadne woke up slowly, her eyes fluttering open only to see Isaac beside her. He was curled up next to her, hugging her in his sleep like a puppy. She couldn't help but curl closer to him, smiling as she inhaled deeply, loving his natural musk. Isaac always smelt like woods and kind of like dirt but it was a nice smell, something she came to love. As she curled into him, pulling her covers tightly around them for warmth, she felt him begin to stir. Isaac blinked rapidly, his focus pulling in different directions before his steal blue eyes finally landed on hers and he smiled.

"Morning," he mumbled sleepily, leaning in to give her a quick kiss on the lips. She twisted her fingers in his hair as she leaned into his still bare chest. Isaac was about to whisper something when the sound of someone's knuckles rapping against her bedroom door stopped them both immediately.

"Wake up, Ariadne, you're going to be late for school. I'm headed to work, Mark already left. We'll see you when we get home." Taylor called through the closed door before the sound of her heels clicked the whole way down the hall. Still being as quiet as possible, Isaac and Ariadne listened for the front door to close before Taylor's car pulled down the driveway.

"That was close," Ariadne said with a chuckle as she sat up and stretched. Isaac kept his eyes trained on her as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and tried to fix her strewn about hair.

"You look so beautiful in the morning." He mused with a smile as he sat up to kiss her cheek. She blushed with a smile before getting out of bed. He watched her go over to her closet and pull out a pink lace cap sleeved dress and some brown tights.

"Do you want to stay for breakfast? We don't have much time but…" as Ariadne was making the offer, Isaac suddenly shot out of bed. He'd left his phone at the buss station with Derek before coming over last night. The last thing Isaac needed was for Derek to be pissed at him.

"I actually have to go," Isaac grumbled as he grabbed his shirt off the floor and pulled it over his head. "I gotta check in with my roommate before school but I'll be waiting for you by the front door. I love you." Isaac said quickly, kissing her cheek quickly before rushing out of the house.

He was on the front stoop before he realized what he'd just done.

_Did I…did I just…I love you_.

XXX

Derek wasn't angry with Isaac for not checking in; in fact he didn't seem all that surprised at all. When Isaac showed up, dazed and a bit of a mess, Derek just chuckled at him saying, "You were going to your girlfriend's at eleven o'clock at night. I wasn't exactly expecting a call."

Isaac just brushed his comments aside and quickly changed his outfit before grabbing his backpack and rushing back out of the buss station. His bike ride to school gave him plenty of time to think about the words he'd used earlier with Ariadne.

It just slipped out. He hadn't thought about it or even meant to say it. But suddenly he just instinctively said I love you without even realizing it. Thinking back, he wished he would've stayed so they could talk about it or so she had the chance to respond. But it was such a reflex he just stormed out of the house before realizing the gargantuan step he'd taken.

It wasn't just the first time Isaac told a girl he loved her; it was also the first time in years he'd said the words. It wasn't exactly tossed around his house too often; especially after his mom died. He couldn't even remember the last time the words had left his lips. Probably his brother's funeral when he whispered the words to the American flag cloaked casket.

It was the fact that Isaac said the words in a rush but meant every salable. There was no denying the truth in his words. Even if he hadn't realized it yet, Isaac was in love with her. He'd never been in love before and the feeling was entirely new but it was true. Isaac had fallen in love with Ariadne.

It hadn't taken too long and it was sort of inevitable but it still made Isaac smile just thinking about it. He loves her. It was a nice feeling.

Isaac couldn't wipe that smile off his face at school either as he met with Erica by the front doors to wait for Ariadne. He was surprised when Erica didn't mention it but she kept throwing mischievous sideways glances his way.

Ariadne arrived a few minutes late in the same pink lace dress she was getting out when he left. She'd tossed a brown cardigan overtop to keep warm and she was wearing boots along with her tights. She let her hair fall in waves past her shoulder, something Isaac always loved. If she wore her hair down, that gave him free access to play with her soft hair all he wanted.

Ariadne and Erica hugged quickly before she turned and kissed Isaac. The three of them walked down the hallway together towards Ariadne's locker where she grabbed her books and chatted casually with her two best friends. When the bell rang they all went their separate ways. Ariadne had almost gotten to her first class before she realized she had the wrong binder and had to jog back to her locker and switch out binders before ducking into her own class only to get called out for being late. Luckily there was no real punishment besides the embarrassment of the teacher addressing her in front of the entire class. She just quickly took her seat and tried to pay attention the rest of the class. But admittedly her mind was elsewhere; this morning, to be specific.

She still hadn't entirely wrapped her mind around the three words Isaac had said to her that morning. They were said in such a mumbled rush that she almost hadn't caught it, hadn't heard him actually say _I love you_. At first she thought she'd misheard him, he hadn't actually said it, but once she was sure he'd actually said it, that's when she really started to freak out.

Not because the feeling wasn't reciprocal but because it _was_. Somehow, she'd fallen in love with him so thoroughly and so quickly. Coming to Beacon Hills, Ariadne swore up and down that she wasn't going to get too close to anyone let alone a boyfriend. She knew the odds of staying 100% celibate the whole year were slim but she had no plans at all of entering into a serious relationship that would eventually turn to love. But it happened.

She blinked and before she knew it Ariadne was head over heels in love with Isaac Lahey. Because he was good and kind and awkward and the sweetest person she'd ever met. Because he made her feel special and loved and could make her smile no matter what was happening. He'd been there for her when she found out about her mother's passing, he was the first friend she made in Beacon Hills and he introduced her to her newest best friend. Because Isaac Lahey was honest and every time he smiled at her, he changed her view of the opposite sex. He made her think loneliness wasn't the only option. He made her believe her dreams could come true.

XXX

"I can't tell if I'm really pissed at you or really happy for you." Erica told Isaac in a deep voice as they waited for Ariadne at lunch. "It's really reached that level already? You're sure you're really in love?" Erica asked. Isaac didn't bother answering her verbally; just let his eyes speak for him. Erica rolled her eyes, sighing. There was no denying it. It was pretty damn obvious.

"So tell me this then, lover boy," Erica challenged, leaning across the lunch table at him. "Now that you've told her you love her, when are you going to tell her you're a fucking werewolf?"

Isaac's movement was sharp as he reached out a claw at her but her reaction was sharper and she pulled away just before he could swipe her. All lightheartedness thrown aside, Isaac and Erica glared at each other viciously. "Shut up, Erica." Isaac seethed angrily. In that moment he truly wanted nothing more than to rip her throat out for bringing _that_ up.

"Whoa, what's with the death stare down?" Ariadne asked as she joined them at the table, sitting next to Isaac. Snapping out of the moment, Isaac turned to smile nonchalantly at her but the anger was still in his eyes as he avoided Erica's.

"Isaac and Erica are always fighting." Boyd said as he too joined them at the table, sitting next to Erica. "I've learned to tune them out."

"No one asked you, Boyd." Erica snapped, glaring at him. "Isaac and I wouldn't fight all the time if he weren't pissy all the time."

"I wouldn't be pissy all the time if you didn't stick your nose in my business all the time." Isaac snapped. If they were at the buss station or anywhere less public the claws would've come out and they would've dropped to the ground to battle it out but considering they were in a high school cafeteria they kept the fighting in their eyes.

"Whoa, whoa, calm down you guys!" Ariadne interjected, putting her hands up between them. "Whatever you're fighting about let it go. It's not important."

Erica laughed maliciously and Isaac just growled at her. "You have no idea how important it really is." She seethed, not even looking at Ariadne. She stood up suddenly, grabbing her tray and stalking away. Ariadne watched her best friend walk away, more confused than she ever had been before.

"What the hell is wrong?" she asked Isaac seriously, turning to look at him. Boyd rushed after Erica, half to make sure she didn't kill anyone and half to make sure she was okay. "Why is she so pissed? What happened between you two?"

"Nothing," Isaac replied harshly, stabbing his food viciously with his fork. "Erica needs to learn to mind her own business."

There was a long pause that lingered between them for a minute before Ariadne asked, "Is it because of what happened last night? Or this morning?" quietly. Isaac looked up at her with sympathy in his eyes.

"Sort of," he admitted. "But it is in no way your fault. Erica's just mad because…just cause." Isaac stopped short, looking away.

A little hand under his chin made Isaac look back at Ariadne. "What is it, Isaac?" she asked seriously, looking him dead between the eyes.

Isaac gulped nervously, looking back at her. He so badly wanted to tell her but he had no clue as to how he would go about doing so. He fumbled for the words for a good two minutes before he finally said, "There's just some stuff we need to talk about."

Ariadne was the one to gulp this time as she dropped her hand from under his chin. "Like what?" she asked apprehensively.

Isaac sucked in a deep breath, running a hand through his curly hair. "We'll talk about it later. Don't worry about Erica and I, we'll work things out." He promised but underneath his seemingly easy smile, Isaac was panicking. It was becoming all too real.

* * *

Author's Note: As usual you can check out Ariadne's outfit on my Polyvore (samitballi. polyvore. com) this outfit is called I Love You. Don't forget to leave a review! They are the best part of putting stories on here :) Thank you!


	11. Chapter 11

Author's Note: Hey guys! Another short one :( But the next chapter is 8 pages long and has some major things happening! So this is just kind of a filler, throwing info at you to set up the next chapter, kind of thing lol

**Sam0728 **AKA my twin lol**: **I was trying to keep my updating somewhat consistent but I've completely thrown that idea out the window LOL Sometimes I'll post a chapter then a week later be like "oh I have to write the next chapter!" or other time I'm done the next chapter as soon as I post the previous one haha But I'm gonna try and update frequently even if I can't update consistently lol

**Naii: **Thank you :)

**Kaioo: **You know I'm not too sure of that myself lol I'm still trying to figure Ariadne out myself. I go back and forth between those two outcomes a lot. I feel it's less a character reaction and more of a situation reaction, you know? Like her reaction depends on how she finds out. That's just what I'm going with for now until I change my mind later ;) haha

I'm taking some creative liberties when it comes to the swim team considering their season is usually January-March lol but we'll all just pretend like it's possible to be having swim meets a few months into the year haha ;)

Enjoy!

* * *

Isaac was right about working things out with Erica. By the time school let out their little fight had almost completely blown over. Of course there was no apologizing because neither wanted to admit defeat but they just let it go for the time being. Especially since Isaac promised to tell Ariadne the truth soon. It was both worrying and pacifying.

"Can I stay for your practice?" Ariadne asked, wrapping her arm around Isaac's and leaning into him as they walked down the halls after school. He'd been waiting for her outside her last class so they could walk back to her locker together.

Isaac smiled down at her saying, "Of course. I need my cheerleader there." teasingly, winking at her.

They reached her locker but instead of opening it, Ariadne leaned her back against it, smiling mischievously at Isaac. "I thought I was a distraction." She flirted with a smile.

Isaac nodded buoyantly, stepping closer to her and resting his hands on her hips. "Oh you are," he admitted honestly and with a chuckle. "But you're the best distraction ever." And with that he leaned in and kissed her hard on the mouth. He could taste her smile as she twisted her fingers in his hair.

"I actually have a huge favor to ask you," Ariadne mumbled, fiddling with the collar of his shirt. "Taylor has some kind of benefit dinner thing next weekend and she wants me to come along. I really don't want to but…I was hoping you could come too…having you around would certainly make things more bearable." She continued, smiling up at him. "It's okay if you don't want to, I understand. I don't want to go myself. Plus it's really fancy- I'm pretty sure you'd need a suit- but I thought I'd throw the idea out there anyway."

Isaac sighed a little as he asked, "You want me to come?" under his breath, tilting his head so he could look down at her. She nodded innocently, smiling even as she blushed a little. Isaac wasn't too happy about the prospect of going to a stuffy dinner in an uncomfortable suit, but he smiled anyway. "Then I'll be there. Suit and all,"

Ariadne's smile blossomed as she tilted her chin to kiss him. "Thank you so much. I promise I'll make it worth your wild." She flirted with a wink.

Isaac quirked his eyebrows suggestively but chuckled before asking, "See you on the field?" as they pulled apart. Ariadne nodded, kissing him one last time before he rushed to the locker rooms to change.

"Ariadne!" Allison's voice called so Ariadne spun around. Allison was approaching, her books tucked under her arm and a smile on her lips. "Can you do me a huge favor?"

Ariadne was surprised to see Allison after all they hadn't spoken much in the past weeks. Allison kind of shut down recently. Then her mother died and things really changed. Not that they were close to begin with but all of a sudden Allison was a completely different person.

"Sure, Allison what's up?" Ariadne asked as traded books from her locker.

"Do you know where Isaac's staying? We're partners on a chemistry project and we really need to get together after school. I know he's not living at his dad's house anymore so I was just wondering if you knew where he was staying."

Ariadne thought for a second before shaking her head. "Sorry I actually don't know where him and Derek live." She replied, finding it a bit odd but laughing it off anyway.

Allison seemed to tense up a bit. "You've met Derek Hale?" she asked seriously and Ariadne nodded.

"He came to pick up Isaac at school the other day. He's really nice- and unbelievably attractive- but that's all I know about him." Ariadne replied with a chuckle as she tucked her books under her arm. "If you want I can asked Isaac…"

"No that's okay, thanks anyway." Allison cut her off before turning sharply on her heels and walking away. Ariadne watched her until she was out of view, the whole time wondering what had happened to a girl that used to be so sweet. Shaking her head, Ariadne continued down the hall and out to the lacrosse field where the team were just lining up. Ariadne sat down on the bleachers, grabbing her history notebook. Her grade suddenly dropped recently as she got more and more distracted by Isaac. She needed to study as often as possible but she was spending almost every free minute with Isaac or Erica. Practices and free periods were the only time she got to work. Not that was easy with Coach Finstock barking orders and cracking jokes the whole practice.

Ariadne managed to get most of her homework done by the time practice was over so when Coach blew his whistle one last time she put her things away. Isaac waved before rushing off to the lockers to shower and change while Ariadne gathered her things and headed down the bleachers.

"Oh sorry!" she exclaimed as she bumped into one of the players, one she didn't recognize. He was wearing a jersey with the padding and everything but she couldn't remember ever seeing him play. Then again, she was usually pretty focused on the members she knew personally like Isaac, Jackson, Scott and Stiles.

"You okay?" he asked as he reached out a hand to catch her elbow. One foot on the ground and one still on the first step of the bleachers, Ariadne stumbled a little before catching her footing with a chuckle.

"Yeah I'm fine. Sorry about that, I'm a total klutz." She replied awkwardly, blushing as she grabbed the binder she'd dropped. That's when she noticed the player's really nice camera and smiled. "That's a nice camera."

"Oh thanks, I'm not exactly a professional or anything." He replied then reached out a hand to her. "I'm Matt, I don't think we've met."

"Hi, I'm Ariadne." She replied, shaking his hand. "So what do you take pictures of?"

Matt smiled almost shyly as he fiddled with his camera. "Just anything that catches my eye." He said cryptically, causing Ariadne to raise an eyebrow at him. But she didn't have a chance to ask what he meant by that as Coach approached her about their meet Wednesday.

Coach started to tell her about practice the following day but Jackson appeared quite literally out of nowhere, throwing his arm around her shoulders as he said, "We were practicing last night, Coach. We're gonna dominate Wednesday." confidently.

"Jackson's breast stroke has already improved tremendously." Ariadne added, earning a smile and a wink from Jackson, which she brushed off with a chuckle. Coach nodded approvingly, slapping them both on the back as he walked away ranting about finally winning something in swimming. Ariadne chuckled and slipped from under Jackson's arm before heading back to the school so she could say goodbye to Isaac.

"Wait up a sec," Jackson called after her so she paused. He grabbed his gym back next to Matt and jogged over to Ariadne who was waiting a few feet away.

"What's up?" she asked curiously as she tucked her binder under her arm and looked up at him with her sparklingly inquisitive blue eyes.

For once in all the time she knew him, Ariadne saw Jackson blush a genuine, embarrassed scarlet. "I just wanted to thank you for yesterday. No one's ever been so real with me and I just wanted to thank you for that. Also for your help with my form; we're totally gonna kick ass Wednesday." He said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.

Ariadne smiled genuinely up at him as she said, "Well I am the only person who sees past your jackass front. Well, me and Danny." with a chuckle.

Jackson just smiled back at her, leaning in close to say, "Let's keep it that way." with a wink before walking past her up to the school. Ariadne just chuckled as she watched him walk off, rolling her eyes and following him.

She stopped to throw her books in the back seat of her car when her cell phone started to ring so she pulled it out of her cardigan pocket connected the call. "Hello?" she greeted, unsure of the number.

"Hey baby girl," her dad's voice answered and Ariadne literally squealed with delight. "How are you doing?"

"Oh my God, Dad, I miss you so much! I wasn't expecting a call." She said in a rush, smiling from ear to ear. She leaned her back against her car door, relief coursing through her at finally hearing her dad's voice again.

"I miss you too, baby girl. I miss you a lot. I got to talk to Mark a few days ago but I haven't had much free time since. How's school going?" her dad replies and she can hear the glee and relief in his voice.

"School is fine. I'm averaging A's but I dropped to a B in history recently but I'm gonna get it back up." she replied and heard him laugh.

"Grades aren't everything, remember to have a little fun too. Do you have any good friends? Mark said you've been hanging out with a girl but he couldn't remember her name."

If it were possible, Ariadne smiled broader. "Yeah, Erica and I have gotten really close lately. And I've been spending time with a boy named Boyd and Taylor's friend's son Jackson."

"Which one are you dating?" her dad asked and Ariadne rolled her eyes.

"Neither, did Mark tell you I'm dating?"

Her father chuckled and sighed at the same time. "Yeah he said you've been seeing someone. But I want to hear it from you. What's his name? What's he like? I need to know who I'm hunting down." Her dad joked easily but it made Ariadne a little sad because she probably wouldn't get the chance to introduce Isaac to her dad for another six months or more.

"His name is Isaac and he's wonderful and if you met him you'd love him. Honestly, there's no way _not_ to love Isaac." She said with a chuckle, looking around the parking lot for the teenager she spoke of.

"I'm sure he's a nice boy but he'll never be good enough for my girl." Her dad told her truthfully. "Next time I get a chance to video chat with you make sure the mutt- I mean Isaac, is around so I can meet him." Her dad chuckled and Ariadne had to join in.

"I'll make sure to introduce you two. Did Mark tell you I joined the swim team?"

"No! Congratulations, baby girl, I think that's great. Is the team any good? I bet you've improved so much since the last meet I saw."

Ariadne blushed as she told her father about the team and their record. They'd already begun to improve in the short time Ariadne had been on the team. She didn't want to brag but her father's constant praise made Ariadne smile. It felt good to have a cheerleader even if he was so far away with much more important things on his mind.

They talked for a few minutes before her father said he had to go. Both of their smiles faded immediately but Ariadne understood the lack of free time he had. His job was much more important than chatting about her day. So she told him she loved him one last time before they hung up.

She hadn't even noticed a tear had slid down her cheek until it dripped down her chin. Turning to look in the window of her car, Ariadne tried to fix her makeup before Isaac came out and saw her crying but her efforts were futile before as soon as she turned around, Isaac appeared behind her.

"What's wrong? Are you crying?" he asked frantically, trying to look her in the eye.

Ariadne chuckled as she ran the sleeve of her cardigan down her cheeks. "Its nothing, Isaac, calm down. My dad called and it just got me a little emotional. I just don't get to see him enough or talk to him so when I do it's a little overwhelming." She replied, still trying to fix the mascara under her eyes.

"Does he know about us?" Isaac asked after a minute. Ariadne smiled, blushing a little as Isaac leaned against her car the same way she had just a minute earlier.

"Yeah he knows," she replied. "He said he wants to meet you soon."

Isaac blinked, pausing a minute. "Umm…he's in Iraq…right?" he mumbled, confused.

Ariadne laughed as she hooked her arms around his neck and leaned into him. "We can video chat, silly. Next time he's available he wants you there so he can at least see you and talk to you." she said with a chuckle. Isaac laughed and agreed even if he was incredibly nervous at the prospect.

"Your family scares me. Mark works for the sheriffs department and your father is a Marine. How I'm going to convince both of them not to kill me, I have no idea." Isaac chuckled as he placed both hands on her hips.

"He will love you…just like I do." Ariadne replied smoothly. Isaac didn't catch it at first but once he realized what she said, he started to smile really wide.

"Do you?" he started to ask but she was already nodding buoyantly. "You know you don't have to say it just because I did…"

Ariadne cut him off with a finger on his lips, a smile on hers. "I'm not saying it because you did, I'm saying it because I feel it. I love you." she said confidently then removed her finger from his lips. As soon as his lips were free he pressed them against hers passionately. Curling her fingers in his hair, Ariadne leaned into the kiss, skimming her tongue along his lips as they both smiled. Isaac's hands gripped her hips hard, pulling her closer to him where she went willingly.

Deepening the kiss, Ariadne let her fingers trail down the tender skin of his neck, causing a shiver to run down his spine leaving him lightheaded. He hooked his arms around her waist further until his fingers touched his elbows and she was locked in his embrace with nowhere else to go. When they pulled away from a breath of air he could smell her peach shampoo. Smiling, they leaned their foreheads together and just smiled at the perfect moment they shared.

* * *

Author's Note: It's the same day as Chapter Ten so it's the same outfit, but if you want a reminder as to what that outfit was, you can check my Polyvore (samitballi. polyvore. com) for the outfit titled I Love You :)


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Note: I'm back! And with a slightly longer chapter :) I wanted to upload tonight because I'm going away for a few days so there may be a few errors/mistakes throughout because I didn't get to spend as long as I would've liked editing it. But I still hope you like it!

**Review review**s! :)

**Wombaline: **Thank you! I've actually spent a lot of a time coming up with the right way for Ariadne to find out. There are so many different ways for the secret to slip or for him to actually say it but I wanted to make sure it was perfect. I always wanted certain things to happen before she knew Isaac's secret. So yeah it's been a long time coming lol but she'll be finding out soon :)

**XxXBeautifulXxXDreamerXxX: **Aww thank you! That's so sweet :)

**Ellie: **Thank you very much!

**Naii: **Thank you so much! I'm glad you came across it as well ;) lol

Take in mind I know nothing about swim meets lol But I did a lot of research and I've tried to make this as accurate as possible. If you're on a swim team and reading this makes you want to vomit- I sincerely apologize :p lol

Enjoy!

* * *

By the time Wednesday rolled around Ariadne was a bundle of nerves. She could barely focus on classes all day as she worried about her first swim meet that evening after school. Coach had high hopes but equally as high expectation of her. There was a good chance she'd do great but Ariadne just wanted all the cards in the deck on her side. By lunch she was swearing she hadn't practiced enough.

"You're going to do fine," Danny promised as she sat with him at the 'popular' table. She decided to sit with the swim team so they could bond a little more before the meet but she really wanted to cuddle up next to Isaac at the moment. The nerves were literally shaking her fingers as she tried to eat her apple.

Jackson laughed as he wrapped her hand in his. "Calm down, we're going to do great." He promised, looking up at her from under his eyelashes. "You're going to kick ass, Ariadne. And I know I'm gonna kick ass. So what's there to worry about?"

Ariadne laughed as she slipped her hand out of his, surprised to find it no longer shaking. "I envy your confidence sometimes, Jackson." She teased, picking up her apple again and taking a bite.

After lunch Ariadne went on with her classes still unable to focus until the final bell rang. Erica and Isaac were waiting for her outside by her car with big smiles. "You're coming?" she asked cheerfully as she approached her car with her gym back over her shoulder.

"With bells and whistles on." Erica exclaimed, winking at Ariadne. Another chunk of Ariadne's worries faded away as the three of them pilled into her car and headed across town to the opposing school. Erica leaned through the middle seats where Isaac and Ariadne were holding hands so she could flip through the radio stations before she popped open the middle console and pulled out Ariadne's iPod.

"Let's see what we can find here…" she mumbled thoughtfully as she scrolled through Ariadne's playlists. Isaac and Ariadne shared a loaded glance as she blushed at Erica's nosiness. They both jumped a little when Erica squealed with delight.

"I love this song," she screeched, hooking the iPod to the car speakers and blasting Little Talks by Of Monsters and Men. Ariadne softly sang along but Isaac just watched her, smiling. He studied the way her lips moved as she practically whispered the words to the song, having memorized every one. She wasn't swearing any make-up today so her freckles were prominent as was her natural skin color. She never needed blush though as her self-deprecation did that for her. It was an unusually warm day so she could get away with black jeans and black boots with an orange tank top but Isaac could see the gooseflesh on her arms, so he slid his arms out of his black hoodie and handed it over to her.

"Here," he mumbled as he handed it to her at a stoplight. She smiled shyly, blushing yet again, as she took it and thanked him under her breath. Sliding her arms where his had just been, his warmth filled her the same way his actual arms around her did. "It looks better on you."

Ariadne just smiled but Erica in the backseat made a gagging noise.

XXX

The first event within the swim meet was the 200 medley relay which Ariadne wasn't apart of. However Jackson was swimming the backstroke for his heat so Ariadne stuck close by to watch. She couldn't believe her own anxiety as she watched the swimmers line up. When the whistle blew Jackson was off, swimming more efficiently than Ariadne remembered. He was incredibly focused and the determination was clear in his body movements as he swam across the pool. In no time at all the next swimmer surged into the water in place of Jackson and started off the breaststroke. Ariadne continued to watch as the next team member took over with the butterfly and finally the last male member of the team anchored the relay with near flawless freestyle; breathing a sigh of relief only when the relay was finished.

Ariadne continued to watch as the female heat took on the 200 medley relay, seeming only slightly slower than the boys. Then the 200 freestyle took place starting with the boys heat then the girls. By the time that was finished coach called her over for a warm up since she was on deck for the 200 I.M. after the boys did theirs.

Nervous yet again, Ariadne continued to stretch and warm up and before she knew it she was on the block. Listening carefully for the whistle, Ariadne leaned as far forward as possible before she heard that familiar shriek that signaled the start of the race. Gravity took over and she propelled her body forward into the water and started with her butterfly, which wasn't as good as she hoped but she redeemed herself after one fourth of the race wherein she switched to backstroke. Then she switched to her breaststroke before anchoring with her strongest stroke, the freestyle.

Pulling herself out of the pool, Ariadne got a helping hand from a smiling teammate. "Your form was nearly perfect." Jackson cheered as he handed her a towel to dry off with.

"I could've done much better," she retorted with a hint of acrimony in her voice. Jackson just smiled at her as he dashed around to the other side of the pool where he was swimming the 50 freestyle. Ariadne looked about the stadium for any sign of Isaac or Erica. She hadn't bothered to look for them before any of the meets because she was too anxious but after her swim she wanted a peek at Isaac's glorious smile. So she swiveled and looked all about the gymnasium before finally spotting them off to the side sitting together with two wonderful smiles for her. Waving at each other, Ariadne couldn't help but smile back up at them.

Ariadne swam the 100 butterfly next then had a break for the next four events. She took the opportunity to sneak up the stands to sit with her best friends.

"I really need you to tell me what's going on because I feel just as lost as when I watch lacrosse." Erica said as Ariadne sat between them.

She chuckled as she said; "There are eleven events- each swam once by the boys and once by the girls totaling twenty-two events. Each even has a specific stroke and distance. So far we've swam about half…"

"Half!?" Erica exclaimed loudly. "We've been here _forever_ how could you swim any more?"

Ariadne laughed at Erica's dramatics as she ran a hand through her gross wet hair. "It is exhausting but it's fun at the same time." she said with an easy smile. She'd forgotten how much she missed swimming before she joined the team. Quitting seemed like the dumbest decision she'd ever made.

"What do you swim next?" Isaac asked, trying to keep a reasonable distance between them as to not get himself wet. She did lace their fingers together though because she could do that without soiling his clothing.

"The 500 freestyle. It's my strong suit so I'm hopeful." She replied before getting up. She gave Isaac a quick kiss before sauntering down the bleachers to warm up again. Being the fastest swimmer next to Jackson, Coach put Ariadne in as many events as he could even though it was her first meet with the team. But before every event, Coach would pull her aside and attempt a little pep talk that served no purpose whatsoever besides making her laugh.

Once the boys finished their 500 freestyle Ariadne and the girls lined up on the blocks. Being the fastest, Ariadne's block was number four for the second time that day. It was starting to become her lucky number.

When the whistle blew Ariadne lurched into the pool and took off swimming as fast as she could. It was an incredibly exhilarating feeling as she propelled her body forwards fluently through the water. It felt as if she were flying as she surged through the water until she spun around in a flip at the wall. By the time she'd swam all 500 yards, Ariadne was on cloud nine. She popped out of the water with a smile on her face, loving the way the crisp water cascaded from her body as she grabbed the wall and rocked forward out of the pool.

Coach was the first one to grab her and wrap her in a generous hug. She laughed as he shook her all about, ranting and raving before rushing off to receive her score and time. The rest of her teammates crowded around her to cheer her on and tell her how great she did but Ariadne just blushed at all the attention. When Coach came back over with her time the whole team got real quiet.

He barely got the words, "Five thirty-five," out before everyone start to cheer. Ariadne laughed and continued to blush as everyone congratulated her and Jackson threw his arms around her shoulders.

"Your first meet with the team and you're already swimming second fastest." He quipped with a smile as he steered them back towards the bench where they sat next to each other. Ariadne looked up at Isaac to wave and smile at him. She received a thumbs-up from Erica but Isaac was looking pretty worried from where he sat.

"I don't like it," he grumbled to Erica as he carefully watched Jackson interact with Ariadne. It was one thing for the team to join in on the celebration of her great swim but for Jackson to throw his arms around her and lead her around by the hand was a blatant slap in the face to Isaac.

Erica chuckled lightly under her breath. "Finally you're getting angry instead of pathetic." She said and he snapped his head to look at her. "What? You can't honestly say you haven't been acting marginally pathetic about the whole situation. They've been hanging out _frequently_ and you've brushed it aside time after time. I mean she went to practice with him and didn't even tell you and you let it go. It's about time you got pissy."

Isaac rolled his eyes even as he clenched his fists. "Well I've had enough of it. Jackson isn't going to get away with this any longer."

XXX

Jackson swam the 100 backstroke and Ariadne swam the 100 breast stroke before they both took place in the 400 freestyle relay. They both anchored the final relay, winning for both their heats. After Ariadne got a shower she grabbed her gym bag and changed back into her black jeans, orange tank top and black boots. She smiled as she slid her arms into Isaac's black hoodie and inhaled his scent in the fabric. Grabbing her Jack Wills plumpton bag off the ground she went over to a mirror to rub some conditioner in her hair and slap some mascara on her eyelashes.

Isaac and Erica were waiting for her outside the locker room when she exited. Throwing the strap of her bag over her shoulder, she immediately reached her hand out to Isaac for him to wrap his in.

"That was exhausting and I was just watching." Erica complained as they walked out of the school and towards Ariadne's car.

"No it's exhilarating. Nothing can compare to the feeling I get when I'm in the water. It's like…it's like nothing can touch me. I'm on top of the world and nothing can get to me so long as I keep swimming." Ariadne said dreamily, blushing at the adoring look on Isaac's face.

"Okay, Dorey." Erica teased with laughter. They got to Ariadne's car and she popped the trunk to throw her bag inside but when she slammed it shut, both Isaac and Erica were staring back at the school like they'd seen a ghost.

"What's wrong?" Ariadne asked, scurrying next to them in an attempt to see what they were. She looked all around the school but didn't see anything unusual. Some of her swim mates were still in the locker rooms but other than that, the school was mostly dark.

"Stay here," Erica barely mouthed the words, strutting forward towards the school determinedly. Isaac went to join her but Ariadne grabbed his hand and pulled him back.

"What's happening?" she asked worriedly, but Isaac kept looking back over his shoulder at the school. "Isaac! What's going on? What did you guys see?"

"It's probably nothing," he lied unconvincingly, continuing to look over his shoulder at whatever he saw that Ariadne didn't. "Just stay here okay. Erica and I will check it out."

"No! Isaac, tell me…" Ariadne began to plead but Isaac slipped his hand out of hers and jogged away.

"Just stay there!" he snapped, jogging to catch up with Erica who was already at the door to the school. Ariadne waited by her car if just because she was too scared to follow Isaac and Erica into the creepy dark school. The parking lot wasn't lit so she couldn't see much at all besides shadows and shapes. Wrapping her arms tightly around her body, Ariadne started to panic a little. The look on Isaac's face as he stared at the vacant school was too alarming to just let slide. He looked terrified of something but wouldn't say what.

She continued to shiver, moving a step closer to the school every few seconds. A cold wind rustled her hair and Ariadne instinctively jumped then laughed at herself for being so silly. But then she froze. Because the next thing she felt wasn't wind.

It wasn't just that she felt as if she was being watched- everyone gets that way when they're scared. She felt like she was being stalked. Like something was around her, preying on her like a meal. Ariadne turned around, scanning the parking lot even in the darkness but she couldn't see anything. There were just some cars and shadows. Ariadne gulped as her heart rate picked up.

That's when she heard the unsettling sound akin to a hiss come from behind her. She froze dead in place, her heart pounding almost painfully against her chest as she tried to make sense of the noise she heard. Another hiss, this time followed by the click of nails against the ground behind her.

The urge to turn and see what was approaching her was overpowered by her shock and she wound up just kind of standing absolutely still, her hands shaking as she tried to breathe but found the task nearly impossible as fear crept along her skin like a spider.

All in one minute, everything changed for Ariadne. Suddenly there was a loud crash and two arms wound around her waist and pulled her aside. She fell to the ground on top of Scott McCall to the sound of a second crash. A car alarm went off as the sound of a howl ripped through the air, causing Ariadne to literally wince. Scott tucked her head into his chest and shielded her body as glass fell around them onto the pavement. The sound of another car alarm going off overpowered most of the other noises.

It wasn't clear how long Ariadne cowered into Scott before they sat up and he helped steady her. He held onto her elbow as she tried to stand up straight, her legs shaking as she looked around the parking lot. There was glass everywhere and two cars were completely totaled, including the car she and Scott were next to. She tried to make sense of what had happened but there really wasn't any explanation at all. Maybe that was more terrifying than the actual near death experience.

"Ariadne!" Isaac's voice cut through Ariadne's foggy mind and she turned to see him running towards her. He looked around the parking lot with terror in his crystal blue eyes. "Are you okay?" he asked frantically, looking her up and down for any clear sign of injury.

"What the hell just happened?" she yelped, her voice coming out petrified and squeaky. Her eyes darted between Erica, Isaac and Scott but none of them said a word. Until Stile's jeep skidded to a stop right next to them. Scott immediately jumped into the cab but paused with his head out the window.

"Get her home," he told Isaac seriously before Stiles hit the gas hard they sped out of the parking lot. Ariadne watched the piece of crap Jeep speed away, literally trying to shake the confusion from her mind.

"C'mon, let's get you home." Isaac said soothingly as he guided her to her car and helped her into the passengers seat. It didn't register that Erica hadn't gotten in the car as well until Isaac was pulling out of the parking lot. Ariadne turned in her seat but Erica was already gone, completely vanished from view.

Neither of them said anything as Isaac drove her home. It was an almost thirty minute drive filled completely with silence as Ariadne tried to wrap her mind around what had happened. A shard of glass fell out of her hair as a tear slid down her cheek.

When they pulled into her driveway neither was surprised to find the house completely dark and neither Mark nor Taylor's cars outside. Isaac killed the engine but they continued to sit in silence for another long minute.

"Isaac tell me the truth," she whispered, her voice coming out so soft Isaac barely heard it. "Whatever just happened…does it have to do with that fight you and Erica had? Did it have to do with that thing you were going to tell me?"

Isaac gulped loudly, refusing to look at her. He just nodded softly, unable to really say a word. He could hear Ariadne breath in deeply but neither of them would turn and make eye contact. "What happened?" Ariadne asked yet again, her voice cracking as another tear slid down her cheek. When he didn't say anything Ariadne got so frustrated she hit her hand against the door hard. "Damn it, Isaac! Tell me what the hell is happening! I'm scared to death right now and I'm pretty sure I nearly just died. So either tell me what's happening or…" she couldn't finish her sentence but at least she'd caught his attention.

Isaac finally looked up at her, the conflict clear in his eyes as he stammered out, "I-it's…it's really c-complicated." quietly. "I don't r-really know how to t-tell you."

"Do you trust me?" she asked, leaning closer to him and grabbing his hand in hers. Isaac nodded, looking over at her with moist eyes. "Then tell me."

Isaac hesitated a minute too long. The words wouldn't leave his lips, his mouth was open and he wanted to say it but the sentence got stuck in his throat and nothing came out. For a whole minute Ariadne waited for him to tell her the truth but when he still didn't say a word, she dropped his hand. Sighing, Ariadne leaned back and opened her car door, stepping outside.

Isaac quickly followed after her even as his mind shouted curse words at himself for not saying something when he had the chance. "Ariadne wait!" he shouted as he followed her up to the porch. "Let's talk about this! Ariadne, please."

She came to a sudden stop so Isaac did as well, a few feet of space between them. Spinning to face him, Ariadne had tears on her cheeks. "Talk about what, Isaac?" she asked seriously, hiccupping and sniffling at the same time. "If you don't trust me enough to tell me the truth then what are we even doing? What's the point of this?"

"I do! I do trust you! I trust you more than anyone else. It's just really…"

"Complicated, yeah you said that already, Isaac." She cut in. "You've said it so many times but you've never once explained it to me. If it's so hard to explain then take your time explaining it; don't push me away by not saying anything at all!"

Isaac froze dead still as he realized maybe the most important thing of all; she was right. He was pushing her away. By keeping this secret, by constantly avoiding the subject and even lying to her, Isaac kept pushing her further and further away. He thought that if he told her about his secret she'd run away from him but what he didn't realize was that by not telling her, he was _making_ her run away. He was _making_ her leave.

"I never…I didn't want that…I didn't try to push you away." Isaac mumbled, trying to fight back his tears as he looked over at her own tears- tears he caused.

"Yeah well you did." She barely got the sentence out before the emotions got to her. More tears fell down her cheeks as she covered her mouth and ran away. Isaac watched her leave, too heartbroken and scared to follow after her.

* * *

Author's Note: Big stuff going on! As always you can check out Ariadne's outfit on my Polyvore (samitballi. polyvore. com) under the title Ariaac {which is my friend's designated ship name for Isaac and Ariadne lol} You can also follow me on Tumblr (samitballi. tumblr. com) where I post all sorts of Teen Wolf silliness and updates and also my Twitter ( Samitballi)

Thanks for reading! Don't forget to drop a line telling me why you did or did not like the chapter and what you wish to see happen next :)


	13. Chapter 13

Author's Note: So sorry to leave you guys hanging! And with such a sad cliffhanger! I haven't been all that inspired to write lately especially for the stories I already have up. But hopefully I'll get back into writing soon as I plan on having a Teen Wolf marathon that should kick start the feels ;)

**Review Reviews :)**

**Naii: **Isn't Little Talks such a great song!? It's like the ultimate shipping son haha. Thank you!

**Sam0728: **I was in near tears writing sad Isaac :( Poor baby just needs to smile lol

**CriminalMinds4ever: **Thank you so much :) Your kind words mean a lot to me!

**Megan Elaine9: **Sorry to make you wait! Hope you enjoy this though.

Thank you for the wonderful reviews and for constantly reading. It seriously means so much to me that you guys follow this story and enjoy what I've created. As a writer the only thing I can ask for is a following that truly appreciates what I put forth and so I must thank you all for being that wonderful following. I love you guys and I truly appreciate every single review, favorite and subscription. Also to those who've reached out to me on third party websites such as Tumblr and Twitter, you guys are the best!

Enjoy :)

* * *

Isaac might as well have been dead given how useless he was the following day. Derek finally walked into his train cart around noon, wondering aloud why Isaac's ass wasn't at school where it should be. Isaac just sighed and turned over on his side, not answering Derek. He couldn't sleep but he didn't want to get up so he stayed on his dirty mattress all day until Erica showed up that night. She asked question after question about what happened because Ariadne wouldn't say anything but she could tell they were both absurdly upset. Even when Erica demanded, Isaac still didn't answer. He just stared at the rusted ceiling, sighing every few minutes. She finally left when she couldn't get an answer but Isaac stayed where he was.

Friday morning rolled around and Derek made him go to school even though he so vehemently refused. He showed up two hours late and didn't participate in a single class. He briefly saw Erica on the way to Ariadne's locker but he didn't stop to talk to her, just went on into his math class and failed a test. Lunch was a real sore spot though and he wasn't exactly jumping up and down to enter the cafeteria. So he just grabbed a water bottle from the vending machine and went out to the bleachers. Bad idea.

He got about halfway there when he sensed Ariadne's presence. Listening carefully, he could hear her writing in a notebook and the distinct crunch of an apple being eaten. He took a daring step forward until he could see her. She was sitting alone, her back against one of the silver support beams. Her legs were drawn up and bent at the knees where she had a binder placed, her handwriting scribbled all along the page as she refined her notes for what looked like history class. She was eating a green apple, a water bottle leaning against her backpack next to her. She looked amazing in a grey waist high skirt, black long sleeve shirt and, as always, she had the sleeves of her grey knit sweater pulled over her fingers as she twirled her dream catcher necklace, studying the next paragraph.

At first glance she looked perfectly normal, not a hair out of place. But Isaac could see the slight tear at the back of her black tights, the scuffmarks on her boots where she'd been dragging her feet and the offset of her shoulders like she was hunched over. He couldn't see her eyes but he'd bet they were a little red from either lack of sleep or the tears he'd seen just a sample of Wednesday night.

Fighting the urge to approach her and plead his case, Isaac scooted back so she'd never be able to see him, and sat down and watched. He just watched her study, occasionally looking around like she heard a noise or felt someone watching. They sat there all lunch break until the bell rang and Ariadne gathered her things and left without even knowing he was there.

Isaac left the bleachers a few minutes after her, shuffling his feet as he walked down the hall. He nearly bumped into Jackson on his way to econ but they missed each other by a hair. All different scenarios played out in Isaac's mind as he watched Jackson continued down the hall. He was probably going to see Ariadne in his next class. They'd probably sit together and joke around maybe even touch. They were always touching- more so Jackson touching her than vice versa. Isaac had never said anything for fear of coming off as possessive but it always bothered him. The way Jackson would throw his arm around Ariadne's shoulders or touch her waist, hands or face just made Isaac furious. Though he'd never done a thing, Isaac was wishing he had as he watched Jackson strut away.

Isaac decided to skip the rest of his classes from fear of wolfing-out and killing Jackson in the middle of their next class. He could've snuck into the gym to watch Ariadne swim but decided against the torture and just hopped on his bike and headed for home. Or what had become his home but was really just a dirty vacant train station that he shared with his surly werewolf alpha.

Derek wasn't at the station when Isaac showed up so he just threw his books down with a sigh. He tried sleeping but when that didn't work; he hit the weight bench and tried working off some of his stress. Before he even realized it, Isaac was crying. Hard. Throwing the weights away, Isaac yelled furiously at nothing and everything. How could this have happened? How had it gotten this bad?

_Bullshit the bite is a gift!_ Isaac growled even thinking about the trouble Derek's so-called gift had gotten him in. Sure it gave him strength and power, but it also nearly got him killed on numerous occasions and now it drove away the only person who gave a damn about him. The only person he actually loved. The tears on Isaac's cheeks wouldn't stop and he hated every second of the pain but he couldn't do anything but curl up on his horrible little mattress. The last time Isaac cried so hard he was a pathetic little human boy crying in a locked freezer in his basement. These tears were just as horrible.

XXX

Ariadne was already in bed by the time Mark and Taylor got home Wednesday night but it didn't take much for Mark to figure something was wrong. They saw her for literally a minute Thursday morning and she didn't say a word so Mark made a point to be home early that evening so they could talk but he wound up getting called out five minutes after arriving home. It was twelve thirty by the time he got home so even then he didn't get a chance to talk to her and she wasn't even awake by the time Mark left for work Friday morning. So when he arrived home Friday evening, he turned his cell phone off and set out to cook dinner.

"Ariadne!" he called when he heard the front door slam shut. He had steaks in the broiler and baked potatoes in the microwave but when Ariadne entered the kitchen he was dumping a bag of pre-prepared salad in a bowl. "Taylor has to work super late tonight so dinner is up to us. Can you help set the table?"

Ariadne looked perfectly normal on the outside but there was sadness in her eyes that Mark didn't like. She sighed as she dropped her backpack by the island and went to the cabinet to grab two plates, two glasses and silverware.

"I haven't cooked a meal in years," Mark rambled as he cooked. Ariadne walked out of the kitchen to the dining room but Mark kept talking, raising his voice when she was out of hearing range. "The last time I cooked was before Taylor and I got married. She does all the cooking around here- probably because she's so much better than I am- but just so you know, this meal is gonna rock your taste buds. I promise you that."

They sat down to eat a few minutes later but Ariadne still hadn't said a word so Mark tried to make small talk, failing miserably. He was halfway done his stake when he finally asked, " Is something wrong?"

Ariadne looked up, deadpan, and just shrugged. She was barely touching her food and she had a real serious look in her eye, like she was thinking harder than ever before.

"Well, uhm, do you want to talk about it?" Mark asked but Ariadne just shrugged again. "Is it something that happened at your swim meet? Does it have to do with Isaac?" Mark continued, finally receiving a nod from Ariadne. "Well…if you, uhm, decide you do want to talk about it…I-I'm here. You know to, uhm, listen."

Ariadne quirked a small smile at Mark's uncomfortable effort to be there for her but she still didn't want to talk about it. In fact, she hadn't talked about much at all since Wednesday. She just couldn't seem to think straight. Everything reminded her of Isaac and what had happened between them and therefore everything made her want to cry. She could sit through class without too much trouble seeing as they didn't share any classes, but sitting with Erica and Boyd at lunch didn't seem _right_. Sitting under the bleachers was painful but it was somehow more bearable than the lunchroom. She found that she could sit under the bleachers for her entire lunch period, the entire time wanting to cry but the cool air keeping the saltwater at bay.

The crisp air could help keep the tears away but no one else could. At first Erica wanted to talk about it. All day Thursday she asked question after question, receiving no answers at all. Jackson was curious as well but he didn't ask nearly as many questions as Erica. He stuck by her side almost all day, not really saying much. She was thankful for that, but she also just wanted to be left alone.

Which is why she escaped to her room after dinner with Mark. She tried to focus on her homework- still struggling to get her history grade up. There really was no point in remembering dead people, but she held her 4.0 GPA very dear to her heart and she needed to get her grade up in order to keep it that high. So she spent the rest of her night finishing her homework and even doing some extra credit because twelve o'clock rolled around and she still wasn't tired.

Traveling down the stairs as quietly as possible, Ariadne went to the kitchen to boil water for tea. She was leaning against the counter when her pocket began to vibrate. She jumped; startled because she didn't know anyone who would call her at such an hour but she slid the phone from her pocket anyway. Checking the caller ID, a lump rose in the back of Ariadne's throat.

_Isaac._

She couldn't believe he'd call her only two nights after their fight, after their breakup. Sure it was late and maybe he was hoping it would go to voicemail but that didn't stop the tears from welling up in Ariadne's eyes as she watched his name repeatedly flash across her screen. The phone went silent after a minute but she couldn't make her fingers move to answer the call. She just stared at the screen until it beeped with a new voicemail.

Ariadne almost fell to the floor when she saw he'd left a message. Leaving her tea on the counter, Ariadne took the stairs two at a time and burst through her bedroom door, not bothering to be quiet as she slammed it behind her. The tears were already streaming down her cheeks when she hit her bed hard, face first in the quilt. The phone continued to beep as she cried into her quilt, unable to move at all. All of the emotions and all of the memories rushed back at her and the room seemed to spin around her.

"Looking for this?" Ariadne asked, holding Isaac's cell phone out to him. She watched him turn around, a gloriously adorable smile spread across his lips. He was wearing a leather jacket with dark-wash jeans and a baseball tee. Letting her eye trail up and down his body guiltily, she blushed a little even as she smiled up at him.

"_Thanks, how did you find it?" Isaac asked as he took the phone from her hand. For a minute their fingers touched and she felt a spark between them as their skin touched lightly._

Ariadne grumbled as she remembered the second time she'd ever spoken to Isaac. It was her second day at school and so far Isaac was the nicest person she met; and the only one she really wanted to get to know. Suddenly growing interested in lacrosse, Ariadne could remember trying to calm herself down as she walked away from him that afternoon.

Rain dripped off the tip of Isaac's nose as he leaned in closer to her. She leaned into him as well, tilting her chin up. His hand touched her cheek first, just the tips of his fingers brushing against her cheek lightly and making the butterflies in her stomach swirl. They leaned a little closer together. Ariadne instinctively wrapped her arms under his jacket around his waist as she pulled their bodies closer together until their lips finally met.

Their first kiss was soft and gentle, maybe even a little hesitant but it was perfect. Better than any kiss she'd ever had before. They only got better with time but that first kiss would always hold a special place in Ariadne's heart. Not just as the perfect _Notebook_ kiss but also as the first time Ariadne kissed the boy she'd later grow to love.

Isaac wrapped his arms around her waist as she leaned into him, smiling as she reached up on her tiptoes to kiss him. They leaned into the kiss, pulling each other closer and closer until there was nowhere else to go. Ariadne ran her fingers through his perfect curly hair as Isaac gripped her hips in his large hands. They bother really started to get into the kiss as Ariadne felt her skin get hot. Breathing heavily, she leaned her head back as Isaac began to kiss her neck. The feel of his lips gently pressed against her skin was sensational; she honestly couldn't think of a better feeling in the world.

_Pushing against Isaac's chest, they slowly made their way backwards where they fell onto her bed. Isaac smirked up at her, using his weight as an anchor to pull them further up the mattress._

Ariadne could still remember the taste of Isaac on her lips. It was a very distinct taste but also impossible to describe. She had tried a million times to think of anyway to describe the taste of Isaac but she couldn't come up with anything. She honestly believed she could spend all her time kissing him and be completely satisfied. There was nothing better, nothing more amazing than making out with Isaac. The feel of his hands on her skin, his lips against hers, it was the single best way to spend her time.

"_Do Mark and Taylor know yet?" Isaac asked after a few minutes of silence._

_Ariadne shook her head. "They left for work before I even found out. I don't know if I'll even tell them. They didn't know her, why would they care?"_

"_I think they'd care because you do." Isaac replied. "I didn't know her either but I care just because you do- because it effects you therefore it effects me."_

_Ariadne looked up at him, passion brewing in her eyes. She couldn't control the unbelievable urge to kiss him so she did. She kissed him hard on the mouth and when they pulled apart Isaac quirked an eyebrow. "Why'd you do that?" he whispered and she just smiled._

_Ariadne shrugged and captured his lips once more. "I just really, really like you."_

Part of Ariadne believed that moment might have been the real instance in which she fell in love with Isaac. He stayed with her in her darkest hour, not once straying or letting her go. He held tight to her and just let her cry. No one aside from her father had ever done anything quite like that for Ariadne.

Her bedroom door opening made Ariadne jump. She turned to see Mark standing in the doorway, a worried expression on his face. The sight of Ariadne soaked in tears and lying on her bed only worsened Mark's uncertainties. "Ariadne are you okay? I heard a clatter and…" he let his sentence trail off, unsure of what to say next. He cautiously stepped closer to her, sitting next to her on the bed. He honestly wasn't expecting her to immediately fold into his arms, the tears still impossibly streaming down her cheeks. Ariadne curled into Mark, crying harder than she had in a while. Last time she cried so hard, she was curled into Isaac, letting him take away the pain of losing her mother.

Mark patted her shoulder awkwardly, never the best with tears. "Calm down and tell me what's wrong." He requested after allowing her a minute to cry on his shoulder. "This has to do with Isaac?"

Ariadne nodded, pulling away to rack her hands down her face, wiping away the tears with the sleeve of her shirt. "We got in a f-fight Wednesday after my swim meet. S-something happened…I don't k-know what but Isaac did b-but he wouldn't tell me. He's been lying…for God knows how long. I don't think h-he trusts me."

Mark visibly struggled to keep up with her story. "What happened after the swim meet?" he asked, picking the one part of her story that he could do something about as a cop.

"I don't even know! One m-minute Isaac, Erica and I are standing in the parking lot…and the next thing I-I know the whole parking lot is trashed and no one will tell me a d-damn thing! Isaac and I got into a fight and I-I broke up with him."

Mark was clearly surprised by the news so he asked, "You broke up with him? Then why are you so upset?"

Ariadne sighed as she ran a hand down her cheeks, clearing away the tears there. "I-I'm not sure if I made the right choice…"

* * *

Author's note: Hopefully the next chapter won't take a week to upload! As always, you can check out Ariadne's outfit on my Polyvore (samitballi. polyvore. com) under the title _Breaking Dow_n. And you can follow me on Twitter and Tumblr under the username Samitballi :) Thanks for reading! Until next time...


	14. Chapter 14

Author's Note: First of all, I gotta say thanks! Cause the last chapter got 252 views in the 4-5 days it's been up! That's _huge_! So thank you! However, my reviews have gone down again :( So as I am thankful for the views, it would mean a whole heck of a lot to me if you guys also left a review :) It doesn't take much, just type out a simple "I like" or "I hate" lol

**Review Reviews!**

**Guest: **Awe don't cry! I'll fix things I promise :)

**caught-offsides: **Thank you! I know :( I miss it too. In fact, I really really miss writing their interactions. Since I wrote the breakup I've come up with dozens of different little adorable interactions but I can't add them :( They'll be back to normal again soon enough though! :)

Going over this chapter to edit, I realized there's a good bit of cursing I didn't realize was sprinkled throughout lol So sorry if you don't like it. For some reason they just fit though so I left them in. Also, I'm really loving the Ariadne/Mark interaction so there's more of that coming up in both this chapter and in future chapters. I only see this story going on for a few more chapters- max five or so more- so I'm starting to set up a sort of finale of sorts. Hope you guys like!

Enjoy!

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It was Saturday evening by the time Ariadne mustered up the confidence- and control- to listen to Isaac's voicemail. And it was a good thing too because the message hadn't even started yet and she was already near tears. But she steeled herself and pressed play anyway, at first greeted only with dead air.

"_Hey"_ Isaac's voice cut in amongst the static. He was using his piece of crap, pay-as-you-go cell phone so the reception sucked and she could barely hear him but just looking down at the screen and seeing his name was enough to make her teary eyed. _"It's uhm me- Isaac. I don't know if you're awake…you're probably asleep. Sorry if I woke you up!"_ There's a really long pause and Isaac's sigh can be heard even through the static. "_Honestly I don't know why I'm calling you. I knew you wouldn't pick up. In fact you'll probably delete this without listening to it. So I'm probably talking to myself._" There's another long pause, this one much heavier than the last.

"_Well here goes nothing,"_ Isaac's voice finally cut through once more. "_I haven't told you everything; in fact there's a whole hell of a lot I haven't told you. The truth is…the truth is, Ariadne, I'm a cowered. I couldn't tell you the truth because I was too scared; I was terrified of my own truth. And I'm sorry, because my own goddamn fears drove you away…and that's what I was scared of in the first place! I was scared of losing you and now that I have…well right now I can't imagine life gets any worse. Cause right now…I just miss you. I can't do anything without thinking of you and for god sake I didn't realize how centered on you my life really is. You're…you're everything to me. You're all I care about, Ariadne. I-I saw you at school today. You were sitting under the bleachers- I went there to get away from the cafeteria…eating there didn't feel right without you. But I saw you regardless and you were wearing a sweater and I'll be damned if I weren't jealous cause it was keeping you warm instead of me. You were doing homework, just real intently studying your notes, so I sat down and just watched you. I hope you don't think that's creepy…now that I hear it I realize it is creepy…sorry. But then again, I'm not sorry. Cause for an hour today I got to watch you the way I always loved to. I'm not sure if you know or not but I watch you a lot. It's the little things you do that really draw my attention. The way you twirl you necklaces or the way your eyebrows pull together when you're frustrated or the way you blush at the slightest embarrassment…"_

Ariadne had to turn it off. The tears streaming so steadily from her eyes burned like never before as she sat on the floor by her bed bawling. She wanted to hear the rest but she couldn't take it. The sobs that rocked her entire body wouldn't allow her to listen to the rest of the message until Sunday morning. She'd taken some time to clear her head and try to regain composure then in the morning she pulled her phone out one more time.

Sucking in a deep breath, Ariadne's finger tapped the Play button hesitantly. "_You're kind of my weakness," _Isaac's voice chimes, a slight smile in his voice even if there's undeniable sadness in it. "_Your blue eyes and your black hair and your dimples and freckles. You could kill me with that smile alone. I wish I could make you smile again- I love it. There are few things left in life that I like more than seeing you smile- even if you're smiling at someone other than me. I guess that's what love's about, huh? Loving someone enough to let them do what they please- even if it breaks your heart. I'm sorry for calling you so late after you made it clear you don't wish to hear from me. I'm just sitting here all alone on a piece of shit mattress remembering all the amazing times I got to spend with you. And I miss you. More than I'm even willing to admit. I'm just really hung up on you and I can't seem to let go of you. I'm just a love sick puppy here, babe, but right now…I wish there was something I could do to make this better- something I could say to make you forgive me. Telling you the whole truth now just seems cliché and I don't want to insult either of us by doing so…but I want to make this right. S-so if you've listened to this whole message, Ariadne…can you show me? Give me some kind of sign. I don't care what it is- I'll get it I promise! Just give me a sign that I can in fact make this better. I'll crawl on my hands and knees over glass, Ariadne Truman, cause you're the best goddamn thing that's ever happened to me and I-I'll be damned if I lose you cause of my own stupid fears. So please…just…give me a sign."_

The phone slipped from Ariadne's grasp, landing on her carpet with a muted thud. She was so beyond crying at this point. She couldn't handle the feelings racking through her body like a hurricane just under her skin. Her heart pounded against her chest painfully, her head swimming.

"Mark! Mark!" she started to yell even before she could even register the act. Her feet took off, running for the stairs faster than ever before. "Mark! Mark! Mark!" she kept yelling, taking the steps two at a time until she found him downstairs in the den.

"Whoa slow down killer what's wrong?" Mark exclaimed as he struggled out of his recliner.

"I-Isaac called and he left a voicemail. He wants me to s-show him a sign of good faith. Cause he wants to fix things and he wants to make things right again but he's not sure if I'll take him back or if I'll even listen to him if he talks. What should I do?" Ariadne asked in a rush, the words jumbling together as she dropped to her knees in front of his brown leather recliner.

Finally finagling the footrest down, Mark sighed as he placed his elbows on his knees and wiping the remaining sleep from his Sunday nap from his eyes. "Slow you roll there kiddo I only understood about two sentences there." Mark admitted and Ariadne rolled her eyes, explaining everything all over again this time marginally slower.

"So what should I do?" Ariadne asked once she was finished retelling her story. Mark looked down at her with a real serious expression as he thought through his response.

Absently rubbing the stubble on his chin, he asked, "Do you want to give him a second chance?"

Ariadne answered without a single hesitation. "Of course," she said, only thinking about her answer after she'd already spoken. "I mean…"she sighed heavily, running a hand through her messy black hair. "I still love him…I just don't know if he trusts me."

"Well if you ask me I'd say he does. I mean the boy left a rambling message on your phone- no; he left his heart on your phone." Mark said seriously before sitting forward in his chair and laying a hand atop her head. "He seems pretty desperate, Ariadne, you got your hooks in him deep. It's not easy to love the way you two do…and now that scares the shit out of me…I'm also not gonna stand in the way of it. So if you do in fact decide to give the little puppy a second chance I'll help in any way I can."

Ariadne smiled up at Mark before wrapping her arms around him in an awkward hug. She pulled away and ran back up the stairs just as fast as she had ascended them.

"What's up with Ariadne?" Taylor asked as she entered the den. She held out a plate of cookies to Mark who, instead of taking one, took the whole plate and leaned back in his recliner.

"Boy troubles," Mark replied offhandedly. He kicked up the foot rest and reclined backwards until he was nearly horizontal.

Taylor stared at him with a wide jaw. "And she came to you!?" she asked in wonderment causing Mark to just chuckle.

"As it turns out I'm a savant of dating advice. Who'd a thought?" Mark teased, munching on a chocolate chip cookie.

Taylor leaned back into the couch, staring at her husband. "I sure wouldn't."

~!~!~!~

The boy's lacrosse team had a scrimmage Sunday night that was mandatory attendance so Isaac laced up his stick and headed to the field even though he felt like curling into a ball on his mattress again. He regretted that voicemail more than anything. Because he hadn't heard anything back or because he'd left his _entire_ heart on an answering machine, didn't really matter. Isaac couldn't get drunk but boy did he want to.

"You okay?" Scott's voice suddenly interrupted Isaac's thoughts. Turning around, Isaac was confronted by Scott's worried expression. "I'm guessing things didn't go so well the other night?"

"Not exactly," Isaac admitted with a bitter chuckle. "She broke up with me."

Scott looked genuinely sympathetic as he landed a hand on Isaac's shoulder. "Sorry, Isaac," he consoled lamely. "Maybe playing lacrosse will help get your mind off her for a little bit. Just don't get out too much frustration on the field…you know cause you really shouldn't kill anyone." Scott said before jogging onto the field for practice drills.

_Well, here's to hoping I don't actually kill someone._ Isaac thought bitterly as he cracked his neck and put on his helmet. Hitting the field, Isaac was relieved to find one good stress reliever. Lacrosse really was helping him forget about the whole breakup and heartbreak. He had to actively remind himself not to kill someone or go too far but at least he was able to let off some steam for a bit. They were even winning!

When halftime hit, Isaac hit the bench. He sat between Stiles and Greenberg, watching the game as his teammates dominated. "Yo, Isaac!" a random, unfamiliar voice called out so Isaac turned in that direction. "I'm having a party at my house after the game. You should definitely come." A young girl said as she slipped a piece of paper in his hand. Isaac looked down in time to see her fingers slip out of his, a piece of scrap paper in they're place.

"You gonna go?" Jackson asked, appearing out of nowhere. Isaac unfolded the paper, reading the address listed and shrugged. He'd never really gone to too many parties. He wasn't exactly on the top of the invite list until The Bite and after, well he had bigger things to worry about. But having the invitation in the palm of his hand felt nice and maybe it would be another good distraction from the constant ache in his chest. Maybe going to a stupid teen-age high school party would do Isaac a little good.

"You should come, the whole swim team is gonna be there." Jackson said pointedly, slipping away before Isaac had a chance to reply. The ache in his chest intensified as Isaac thought about seeing Ariadne at that party. Maybe it wouldn't be best to go…or maybe it wouldn't. But Isaac was going to go either way because he wasn't going to let Jackson Wittemore manipulate him. So he slipped the piece of paper into his gym bag and grabbed his helmet, hitting the field once again.

The game was almost over by the time Isaac looked out at the bleachers. He hadn't even bothered to look out there, knowing he wouldn't see Ariadne looking back like she always was. He nearly dropped the ball when he actually did see Ariadne out there. She was sitting with Erica- no surprise there- a smile on her face as she cheered for the Beacon Hills lacrosse team. Isaac almost took Isaac a minute to remember that he was the Beacon Hills lacrosse team and that she was cheering for him.

Regaining conscious abilities, Isaac scored a goal before ripping his helmet off and staring up at the crowd. Their eyes met and Ariadne immediately stopped clapping. Erica saw the interaction but didn't say a word as the two locked eyes and held it. Was this her sign? Was she trying to tell him she'd accept an apology or at least hear him out? Isaac blinked a few times, trying to clear his mind of the boyish fog that wouldn't let him get passed the sparkle in her inhumanly blue eyes or the glisten of the lights off her jet black hair.

A whistle being blown directly in his ear made Isaac flinch, losing eye contact with Ariadne. He had to keep playing the game, had to focus, but that didn't stop him from stealing every sideways glance at the crowd. She was almost always smiling as she stood next to Erica in jeans and plaid shirt under what looked like one of her father's army jackets. Erica was next to her looking inappropriately dressed for a lacrosse game in her low cut navy blue top and high heels. They both looked beautiful thought and Isaac couldn't keep his eyes away.

When Beacon Hills won the game, the fans scattered all around, giving Isaac literally a three second window of opportunity to talk to Ariadne. He had to give Erica props because she tried her hardest to steer Ariadne in his direction but their efforts were futile. There were way too many people around for them to talk so they went their separate ways. But Isaac kept his head high because this was her sign. This was her way of showing him she'd give him a second chance- or at least listen the next time he tried to speak.

He caught sight of her one last time in the parking lot before he went into the locker rooms. She was standing by her car talking with Erica, a smile on her face even as she nervously fiddled with her necklace. He listened carefully to hear what they were saying.

"I wasn't so sure I should…" Ariadne was in the middle of saying when Erica cut her off.

"Like hell you aren't going. Listen, Ariadne, I've watched you mope around like a heart broken kitten for _days_ now. It's time you had a little fun and this party is going to be fun. So let's go back to your house, find you something awesome to wear then _let's have fun_!" Erica insisted, shaking Ariadne's shoulders with a smile.

Ariadne had to laugh, even as she shoved Erica off her. "Fine! But I'm not drinking and that whole fun thing…yeah not too sure about that either." Ariadne teased as she slipped into the driver seat of her Chevy Cruze and pulled out of the parking lot. She headed back towards the house because she knew Erica wasn't going to let her go to the party dressed in boots and jeans.

When she pulled into the driveway Mark and Taylor's cars were still there and when the girls walked in the house Mark and Taylor were in the den. "I'm home! I'm not staying! I'll be out late!" Ariadne yelled as her and Erica bounded up the steps to her bedroom.

"Now to find you something to wear." Erica mused as she fiddled through Ariadne's closet. Rolling her eyes, Ariadne striped out of her warm clothes and waited impatiently for Erica to pick something out. "Here! Where this dress with…these shoes…and this jacket…now jewelry." Erica exclaimed as she pulled things from Ariadne's closet.

Ariadne slipped into the rose and black colored lace mini-dress but hesitated when she saw the shoes Erica picked out. "I don't know if I can wear these." She admitted with a chuckle. "I bought them years ago but I've never actually worn them. In fact they kind of scare me."

The heels were black and suede and really pretty. But they were also tall and pointy and probably ungodly uncomfortable. Ariadne studied the heels she wasn't too sure why she purchased but one look from Erica and she slipped the shoes on. She didn't need to get on Erica's bad side tonight. Or ever

"What is this? Do you have your nose pierced?" Erica asked as she picked up a heart shaped piece of jewelry.

"Yeah I got it done a few years ago but I barely ever wear real jewelry just clear retainer to make sure the whole wont close if I ever decide I want to start wearing jewelry there again." Ariadne explained as she slipped her arms into the black blazer Erica also picked out. She peeked over Erica's shoulder at the stud she was holding up. It was Ariadne's favorite but she couldn't remember where she'd gotten it or the last time she'd worn it.

"Huh…how have I never noticed that before? Well I think you should wear it tonight." Erica replied, handing over the small piece of jewelry. Ariadne just shrugged and went over to her mirror to place the piece of jewelry in its place. "Can I do your hair too?" Erica cheered giddily, making Ariadne laugh.

She let Erica do her hair as well, curling it and waterfall braiding it. Then eventually the girls were headed out the door again so Ariadne yelled, "I won't be home till late, don't wait up!" over her shoulder as she walked past the den where she could hear Mark and Taylor conversing quietly.

When the girls got back in the car, they cranked up the heat as well as Son of a Gun by Oh Land and headed in the direction of the party. Ariadne had been invited to a few different parties since arriving in Beacon Hills. She'd only ever attended one before and the main reason for her attendance was Jackson. He had insisted she go and when Isaac said he couldn't hang out that weekend she thought _why not_. It wasn't the best party she'd ever been to but it was fun enough. So when she got invited to this party she hoped to have just as much fun. It was possible to have fun in the midst of heartbreak, right?

Pulling up to the packed house, Ariadne killed the engine and handed the keys to Erica who stuffed them in her clutch. "Can you take my phone to?" Ariadne asked, handing over her iPhone. The lack of pockets in the dress Erica chose was already getting annoying, as were the heels. Stumbling up the steps, Ariadne shot her best friend a glare but was greeted only with a smile.

Conor Maynard was playing loudly throughout the house when the girls entered so they made their way to the back deck. Looking around, Ariadne could honestly say she only recognized maybe half the people there. "I'm gonna get us drinks!" Erica said, disappearing before Ariadne had a chance to claim she didn't want to drink.

"Ariadne!" Danny's voice called over the music and so Ariadne turned to see Jackson's ridiculously handsome best friend approaching her. "This isn't your scene; what are you doing here?" he asked as Ariadne hugged him.

"Oh you know, trying to get over a heartbreak." Ariadne said dramatically, making Danny chuckle. It was true but at the same time Ariadne felt silly. She definitely wasn't the girl who drank away her sorrows.

"Well then you need alcohol!" Danny said with laughter just as Erica showed up and placed a cup of something terrible smelling in her hand. "And a dance partner. Come on!" Grabbing her free hand, Danny lead her towards the makeshift dance floor. The song playing had an inconsistent beat, which made dancing awkward, but Danny made it fun and soon enough Ariadne was truly laughing. It wasn't a fake laugh to cover how bad she really felt; it was a real genuine laugh.

"Looks like you two are having fun." Jackson said as he approached the two of them. Ariadne giggled as she continued to dance around Danny, holding onto his shoulders. Grabbing her waist, Danny spun her around, laughing as he did so.

"I'll be back, dance with Jackson." Danny demanded, gently pushing Ariadne towards their mutual friend. Ariadne chuckled as Jackson grabbed her waist and smiled as they started to dance. When the song was finished and another kicked in, Ariadne took a second to survey the crowd around them. Erica was off in the corner with some random boy she'd never met before, gyrating inappropriately but with the biggest smile on her face. Ariadne laughed at her best friend and hr flirty ways. Continuing to look around, Ariadne saw a few swim teammates and so she smiled, waving at them. That's when Jackson moved in even closer and wrapped his arms around her waist.

She shot a dirty look up at him. "Danny was grabbing you! I can't?" Jackson asked with a cocky smile but Ariadne just shook her head.

"Danny's gay! I know he's not interested like you are." She replied but the music was too loud for him to hear. So she moved closer to say it again, closer to his ear, giving him just another chance to pull her closer to him. "Jackson…" she started to complain but he let go throwing his hands up in innocence.

Ariadne was in the middle of thanking him when she caught familiar silver blue eyes over Jackson's shoulder. Her smile fading, she stared back at Isaac. He was casually leaning against the wall a few feet away, a drink in one hand and the other deep in his jean pockets. She had to admit he looked _nice_ in a light blue button up that was just tight enough to accent his small waist and rolled up at the sleeves to show off his muscular arms. His curly hair was a mess as always but she couldn't help but smile as she looked at him. He didn't look any different; he just looked like Isaac. Just perfect.

Jackson saw her looked away from him and turned to see what had caught her eye. Sighing, Jackson caught sight of Isaac and the admiring glances they were sharing. It was Ariadne to break eye contact this time, looking away to keep from crying. Jackson saw the distraught look on her face and touched her shoulder, ducking his head to better see her face. "You okay?" Jackson asked but Ariadne shook her head. Without so much as a second thought, Jackson wrapped an arm around her shoulders and steered her away from the dance floor and towards the house. He didn't stop moving until they found a secluded area upstairs where the music didn't reach and the people weren't congregated.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Jackson asked, ducking his head again. Ariadne wrapped her arms around her torso as she leaned against the hallway wall. She was on the brink of tears but absolutely did not want to cry- especially in front of Jackson. "Is it Isaac?" Jackson asked but all Ariadne could do was nod. "You guys broke up right?" he asked and again all Ariadne could do was nod. "Are you mad at him? Do you want to leave?"

"No, it's just hard. A lot of stuff has happened and I…I don't know. I'm starting to think I made the wrong choice when I broke up with him." Ariadne admitted, running a hand down her face.

Jackson's face softened a little as he rested his hands on her shoulders gently. "If you ask me you made the right choice. I mean, he was keeping secrets, and that's not exactly a shinning example of a great partnership. And that's what you're looking for, isn't it Ariadne? You want someone to be your partner. You want someone to spend time with."

Ariadne nodded, fighting really hard not to cry. "I don't want a boyfriend, I never did." She admitted, tangling her fingers together. Suddenly all she wanted was to get the hell out of the dress and shoes Erica put her in and run the hell away from Beacon Hills.

"You deserve so much more than Isaac." Jackson said, tilting her chin up to look at him and suddenly his lips were on hers. Jackson kissed her hard on the mouth, holding her face to his. His free hand went to wind around her waist, anchoring her body to his as he continued to kiss her. It was a good kiss, but Ariadne didn't care. She put her hands against his chest and shoved him off hard.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked seriously as she pushed him off. Jackson first looked hurt then immediately turned angry. He reached out to her once more as if they were going to kiss again but Ariadne held up a hand to him. "Back off, Jackson. Go away now before you do something you'll regret."

"Ariadne I…" Jackson started, softening his tone and his face as he continued to approach.

"Now Jackson!" Ariadne yelled. "Go away!" That's when the tears took over. She couldn't keep them back as she yelled at Jackson. It was clear on his face that he immediately felt bad for making her cry but she just didn't want to hear anything else he had to say so she got the hell out of there. Shoving past drones of people, Ariadne ran down the stairs and through the house in search of Erica and the exit. But what she found was neither.

"Ariadne?" Isaac asked as she ran directly into him. Upon instinct, he wrapped his arms around her to catch her fall as she rebounded off his hard chest. "Whoa, are you okay? Ariadne what's wrong?" he asked seriously when the light glistened off the tears on her cheeks. She sniffled hard, trying to look anywhere but his perfect sliver eyes. "Hon, what happened?" he asked again, but stopped short when he looked past her in the direction she came.

Jackson was standing at the bottom of the stairs, an expression somewhere between remorse and anger on his face. Isaac only saw red as he looked into Jackson's eyes, blind rage taking over. But a strong hand stopped him from advancing towards Jackson.

"Isaac, outside now." Erica's voice seethed directly in his ear as she appeared behind him. One hand on his chest, Erica pushed him backwards and away from the eyes of his enemy. Ariadne looked between them, unsure of what exactly was happening. Isaac locked eyes with Erica, trying to break free of the wolf inside him and control his anger.

Grabbing Ariadne's hand, Isaac gently pulled her behind him as he rushed out of the house. Outside, there was some semblance of peace and as long as Isaac kept a hand on Ariadne he could control his wolf. "Sorry," he muttered to her as she looked up at him in confusion. "But I needed to get away from Jackson. I kinda feel like ripping his head off."

"What did he do?" Erica asked seriously, turning Ariadne's shoulders to look her directly in the eye.

"Nothing horrible, calm down. I just…" Ariadne couldn't finish her sentence as she looked over at Isaac doubled over, hands on his knees, trying to even out his breathing. "Are you sure you're okay?" she asked, placing a gentle hand on the small of his back.

Isaac bit back a laugh as he shook his head. "Nope not really. Kinda seeing red right now. Give me a minute," he said honestly, holding up one finger. Ariadne took a cautious step backwards but waited until he straightened up. His forehead was a little sweaty and he smiled self-consciously as he ran a hand through his curls.

"Okay…I'm good now." Isaac admitted, simpering. Ariadne had to smile at his sudden honesty. "Are you okay?" He asked, looking up at her from under his eyelashes. Ariadne just nodded but they both knew it wasn't true. She hadn't actually been okay since Wednesday night. Nether of them had.

"I'll be fine. But I just really want to go home now." She replied, looking over at Erica who fished her car keys out of her clutch. Erica tossed them at Ariadne and went to get in the passenger seat, giving her and Isaac a moment. Ariadne looked at Isaac for a second before trying to walk past him. He just reached out and grabbed her wrist, gently pulling her to a stop.

"You came to the game tonight." He murmured, hoping this was his shot. Ariadne nodded slightly, not saying another word. "Was that your sign?" he asked and it took her a minute to nod.

"Yeah, it was. I got your voicemail." She said quietly, looking away from him.

Isaac couldn't help but smile a little as he said, "I promise I'm gonna try to make this better, Ariadne. I feel like the biggest idiot ever but I'm gonna try my best to make things right again."

Ariadne nodded and whispered, "Okay," under her breath before slipping her hand out of his and walking to her car.

Isaac watched her walk away, smiling a little. Right before she got in the drivers seat he said, "I still love you." just loud enough for her to hear.

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Author's Note: Who doesn't love a little Danny in there ;) lol As always, you can check out Ariadne's party outfit on my Polyvore (samitballi. polyvore. com) under the title Signs. But I also have a set for Erica and Isaac's outfits under the title Party Crashers! Thanks for reading :)


	15. Chapter 15

Author's Note: Hey! Huge thanks to everyone who reviewed and favorited :) There were so many it made me really really happy!

Review Reviews:

**Guest: **Sorry. I usually try to update within 5-7 days

**caught-offsides: **Thanks :)

**Sam0728: **Thank you :) I need them to interact more lol I miss writing their interactions

**Naii:** Thank you :)

**Sum: **Wow thank you! :)

**Scarlett: **Haha thank you so much for your enthusiasm! Also for your dedication to sit and read my story all day :) I'm glad I could change your mind about Erica ;) She's one of my favorite but I gotta admit, I didn't like her at first lol When she first came around I was weary cause she was so bitchy and all up on Derek but once her personality surfaced I really grew to love her. I hope we get more of her in season 3 :)

Another short filler chapter :( But some cute Boyd/Erica/Isaac moments that I enjoy. Also setting up for the finale thing I have planned so stay tuned! The next few chapters are all kind of contingent on each other. Thanks again and please leave a review!

Enjoy!

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"Hey, Ariadne, you home?" Mark called as he entered the house later that week. Removing his jacket, boots and gun holster and placing them by the door, Mark surveyed the sounds around the house. Though her car was outside, Mark wasn't sure Ariadne was actually home so he casually walked upstairs and knocked on her bedroom door.

"Oh good you're home," he said when she opened the door. "What are you up to?" he asked as entered the room and looked around. Ariadne's backpack was on the floor by her bed and all her binders and notebooks were spread about the bed and the floor. She was in black sweat pants and a loose fit Met's tee shirt with her hair pulled up in a messy bun, usual study clothes.

"Homework, per usual. What's up?" she asked as she scooted some papers aside and hoisted herself onto the cluttered bed.

Mark flipped around her desk chair and sat down in front of her. "I have a proposition for you. What do you say to sending your dad a care package? Since contact is so sparse this turn around the sandbox, I figured he could use some stuff to remind him of us."

Ariadne immediately got excited at the prospect, smiling from ear to ear. "That sounds great! When can we send it?" she asked as she grabbed a notebook off her bed and started writing down things she wanted to add to the box.

"Well I can send it Friday if you think you can get a whole box ready by then." Mark offered and Ariadne agreed wholeheartedly. "I'll go fish a box out of the basement."

Mark left to find the box while Ariadne continued making her list. She'd sent a few care packages over the years of her father's service but she was still just as excited as she was the first time she got the opportunity to send her dad a piece of home. He always said she sent the best care packages but truth be told she never knew just what to put inside. Of course things like candy, energy bars and photos were the first choice but when it came to recreational things or special reminders, Ariadne always drew a blank so when Mark returned with a large cardboard box she asked for his advice and they spent a whole hour brainstorming ideas until Taylor walked through the front door and called them.

"We should throw in some water guns for the soldiers to play around with." Mark said with a chuckle as he and Ariadne walked down the stairs and saw Taylor standing by the kitchen door. "Hi, honey. How was work?" Mark asked, giving her a light kiss on the cheek as he passed her on his way to the kitchen.

"Hello, work was fine. What are you two discussing?" Taylor replied as she followed Mark into the kitchen, Ariadne on her trail.

"Mark suggested we send a care package to Dad. We're gonna send it Friday." Ariadne replied as she hopped onto a stool at the island. "Can we order pizza for dinner? I'm craving something greasy and cheesy." She asked with a chuckle as she fiddled with a speck of dirt on the counter top.

Mark chuckled as he pulled open the 'menu drawer' beside the fridge packed full of take out menus. "That's just your broken heart talking." He teased as he tossed a few pizza place menus at her. She stuck her tongue out at him but shuffled through the menus until she found one she desired and handed it back to him so he could place the call.

"Just remember we have the benefit dinner Friday night." Taylor reminded them and both Mark and Ariadne froze. Exchanging a horror stricken glance, they both sighed heavily knowing they weren't going to get out of their duties. But Ariadne's glance was much sadder than Marks, because she already signed up to the event with Isaac as her plus-one. Letting her forehead hit the counter with a quiet thud, Ariadne groaned. What was she supposed to do now? She couldn't very well expect him to still show up but she was already on the list with another in attendance. Maybe Erica would tag along. Or maybe she could con Danny or Stiles to go with her. She had to find someone fast because the longer she thought about it the worse her heartache felt.

~!~!~!~

Isaac was training especially hard all week, finally getting a hang of Derek's training routines. His heart still ached but for now he was channeling that pain into fighting and it was working. He was finally able to get and upper hand on Derek- even if he couldn't actually take his Alpha down. After one training session he cooled down outside by lying in the deserted parking lot beside Erica and Boyd. They were talking casually for a good fifteen minutes before he realized they were holding hands.

"Holy shit what are you doing!?" he gasped as he watched Erica curl into Boyd. They both chuckled at Isaac's obliviousness as they continued to cuddle. "Are you two like…a _thing_ now? When did that happen?" he blundered only furthering Erica and Boyd's amusement.

"It's none of your business, Isaac." Erica snapped but she had a smile on her face nonetheless.

"What happened to Stiles? I thought you were trying to get that doofus to love you." Isaac asked and before he had any time at all to react, Erica up and kicked him.

"Like I said, it's none of your business, Isaac." She retorted, cuddling back into Boyd as Isaac yelped in pain beside her. Feigning serious pain, Isaac rolled around on the cement floor wailing in agony. "Oh shut up."

Finally chuckling, Isaac stood up and grumbled, "Well you two are no fun if all you're gonna do is make out."

"We haven't even kissed!" Boyd complained as he laughed.

"Besides, I spent how long putting up with you and Ariadne being sickeningly in love you can put up with me for a bit." Erica said, looking up at him with a raised eyebrow.

Isaac just smiled, kicking her back equally as hard then running away. Bursting through the subway doors, Isaac caught Derek on his phone messing around with the settings and grumbling about the high cost of such a stupid piece of plastic. "Want me to help…" Isaac started to ask, reaching towards the phone, but Derek just glared up at him so Isaac receded his offer. Roughly three minutes later, Derek turned to him and asked for help.

"How do you set reminders?" Derek asked, handing the phone over to his beta who asked how he could possibly not know how to work such a simple piece of technology. "It's new and if you haven't noticed, I've been a little preoccupied."

"What do you need to remember?" Isaac asked but didn't even give Derek a chance to reply before a thought struck him. "Oh no!" he cried, tossing the phone back at Derek who caught in nimbly. "Oh no I forgot!"

"Forgot about what?" Derek asked, continuing to mess around on his phone while simultaneously watching Isaac pace the floor.

"Taylor's benefit dinner thingy! That's this weekend and I promised Ariadne I would go with her!" Isaac cried as he continued to pace, repeatedly running his hands through his mess of curls.

Derek bit back a chuckle as he said, "Well I don't think she wants you to go anymore."

Isaac just glared at the surly wolf but then another idea struck him and he stopped pacing. "What if I went? Maybe that's my shot!"

"Shot at what?" Derek asked uninterestedly.

"My shot at getting Ariadne back! Think about it, I show up in a suit at a boring stuffy dinner things she's made to go to, we have a good time and I get to tell her everything." Isaac said enthusiastically, growing more and more excited.

"Sounds like the setup to a cheesy chick-flick." Erica replied, coming in from outside just as Isaac was telling his grandeur idea.

"It may be cheesy…" Boyd said thoughtfully, walking to stand next to Isaac. "But it just might work…" The boys shared a loaded glance before Boyd's smile blossomed. "We need to get you a suit!"

~!~!~!~

Ariadne and Mark spent most of the week gathering supplies for her care package. They bought all sorts of candy and energy bars and sunflower seeds and even water guns as Mark had suggested. All that was left to get were pictures of the town and Ariadne's friends. So Thursday during school, Ariadne sought out Matt Daehler in hopes of borrowing some of his candid photos.

"Matt!" she called, slamming her locker and jogging over to where he was down the hall. He looked up from his camera, more than shocked to see her but smiling nevertheless. "This is gonna sound weird but the other day you said you take pictures of anything that catches your eye." She fumbled, blushing.

"Yeah, I like candid photos best." Matt replied, watching her as she tangled her fingers and struggled to find the right words.

"Great, yeah me too. Uhm I was just wondering if maybe you had some photos of the students- like my friends! I'm a terrible photographer cause I never remember to take photos but I want to send my dad in Iraq a care package with photos of my life here. I guess I was just hoping you had some photos I could borrow. Sorry to ask." She blundered, smiling through the embarrassment.

Matt smiled, chuckling as he closed his locker door. "Don't sweat it. Why don't you come over to my house after school and you can look through some of my gallery and pick out whatever you want." He offered as he threw his backpack over his shoulder.

"That would be perfect thank you." she replied as her smile blossomed. Matt wrote down his address on a piece of scrap paper and handed it to her before scurrying off to his next class. Ariadne tucked the piece of paper into the pocket of her jeans just as her phone began to buzz with an incoming text message.

'_Just reminding you that you still need to pick up your dress for dinner tomorrow night.'_ Taylor's text read and so Ariadne groaned, going back over to her locker and throwing it open roughly.

"Whoa, you okay?" Jackson's asked, appearing next to her and leaning his shoulder against the lockers next to hers.

"Peachy," she snapped as she shoved books into the tiny locker. There wasn't enough room and she had too many books but she continued to shove them in until she finally just slammed the locker shut furiously and leaned her forehead against the cool metal. "What do you want, Jackson?" she asked, her forehead still leaning against the door.

Jackson sighed, leaning his back against the lockers beside her. "I wanted to apologize. I haven't seen you much all week and…basically I just wanted to say I'm sorry. Cause I acted like a totally dick and I…"

Jackson stopped talking when Ariadne held up a hand and grumbled, "Save it. I just want to forget it ever happened."

Jackson smiled, mumbling, "Thanks." before asking, "So what's got you so upset?"

"Taylor has a benefit dinner tomorrow night that she's making me attend." She admitted sourly, turning to lean her back against the metal so she could face Jackson.

"Did she just spring it on you today?" Jackson asked quizzically, closer than she'd originally realized.

"No I've know for a while but I thought I'd…" she couldn't finish her sentence as she swallowed hard and looked away from Jackson's piercing green eyes.

"You thought you'd take Isaac along." Jackson mumbled, finishing her sentence for her. Ariadne literally couldn't breathe for a second as she remembered everything that had happened between her and Isaac. Momentarily lost in the memories, she didn't notice Jackson inch a bit closer before he said, "Well I'll come along then."

Snapping out of her memories, Ariadne laughed at him, giving him a look. "Yeah I'm sure you'd like that," she teased and Jackson chuckled, blushing a little.

"_I would_, but I swear only as friends. You need someone to go with and I'm available. We'll go as friends." He replied, smiling that award-winning smile of his.

Ariadne chuckled as she bent over to pick of her backpack. "You can't just be friends with anyone, Jackson. You proved that last Sunday. Let's just not even go there, okay? You always say you're everyone's type so maybe we should just keep our distance."

"Don't make this into a problem, Ariadne. Forget labeling it anything, we'll just go have a good time. I can have a good time without kissing you I promise" Jackson interrupted, making her actually consider it for a minute. "Listen," he continued, seizing her momentary thoughtfulness and leaning in even closer. "If you go alone you'll be miserable, right? But if we go together we can have a little fun. I'm used to these kinds of things, I've gone to dozens in my life, and I know how to make them fun. And I swear on my life I won't try anything on you. I realize how stupid it was to try in the first place and I'm sorry. Give me a chance to redeem myself here."

Ariadne stared at him for a long minute, his proposition growing increasingly intriguing. She leaned back at him as she said, "Just friends," sternly. Jackson smiled broadly and shook his head but Ariadne just walked away, smiling only when Jackson couldn't see.

* * *

Author's Note: I don't actually have a Polyvore outfit for this chapter :o lol The next chapter will have an outfit though- as well as Matt! I've had the next scene with Matt in my head forever hahaha so I finally wrote it and it will be in the next chapter :) Stay tuned, thank you and review :)


	16. Chapter 16

Author's Note: Hello there! After a long case of writers block I sat down wrote this whole chapter and the next in one night lol So hopefully it's a little better than the last few ones that have been a little 'blahh' to me. There's really only two or three more chapters after this :( It's almost over! But I hop you guys like the ending :)

**Review Reviews!**

**Sum: **Well thanks, I tried to make Jackson a little more dimensional and even likable :)

**kblatz: **You never know what's gonna happen ;) I'm just having way too much picture those two beautiful men in suits hehe ;)

**Scarlett: **I have a weird love for Matt lol I think it stems from my love for Stephen Lunsford who is absolutely perfect- so I thought I'd throw my hand at writing him. You'll just have to wait and see ;)

**Wombaline: **No it's not rude at all! I love constructive criticism so thank you! I realized once I started writing that the structure I set up for the story was in fact a lot longer than I originally intended. I'm kind of writing it in three parts- like a play. The first part was introduction to Ariadne and her relationship with Isaac (the longest, because you not only had to figure out the new character, you also had to accept her into the world and eventually grow to like her). Part two is the break-up, the after effects and her slight slip into the mythological side of Beacons Hills. Finally part three is her finding out. It's taken a while to get to that point- and I promise it will come soon- but I plan on ending the story within a chapter or two of her finding out, which is why I pushed it to the end. I have everything mapped out in my mind- and I admit I got kind carried away a few times, adding unnecessary things- but I really wanted the readers to fall in love with Ariadne and her relationship with Isaac _first_. Now that you have (or I hope you have lol) I've delved into part two and am setting up part three. I'm sorry if it feels like I'm filling space cause I'm really not. I think it'll make sense in the end if everything I have planned works out :) Thank you for your review! As a writer I thrive on the readers constructive criticism :) {sorry that was such a long reply lol}

Enjoy!

* * *

Ariadne stopped off at the cleaners to pick up her dress for Taylor's dinner tomorrow night then she headed over to Matt's house. Even though they'd only had two conversations, Ariadne really didn't have any photos of Beacon Hills so Matt was her only chance. He seemed normal enough though, so Ariadne pulled into his driveway and killed her engine. She was fiddling with the hem of her light purple pebble clef tunic, picking at a fray, when Matt opened the door.

"Hey, come on in." he greeted, moving aside so she could step through the threshold. "My stuff is upstairs. We can print everything here so it shouldn't take too long." He said as he lead her up the stairs. The house wasn't too big or too small but very suburban with white wash walls and very few person details. Matt's bedroom was a similar case only he had a ton of camera equipment set up throughout the bedroom.

"Whoa," Ariadne mumbled as she walked through the door and surveyed all the expensive looking equipment. "You must really love photography. Are you hoping to go pro?"

Matt just shrugged as he cleared off a seat on the bed for her. "I hope to one day maybe." He mumbled, mostly to himself as he went about tidying up the room a little. "I don't really have too many photos of your friends but I'll see what I got."

"Whatever you have is fine I just really appreciate the gesture." Ariadne said sincerely as she leaned forward on the bed so she could watch over his shoulder as he sat at the desk opposite the bed and typed on his computer. He pulled up a bunch of folders and started riffling through the photos.

"Here's where most of those photos would be. You can shuffle through them and if you find any you want just add them to this separate folder and I can print them all out." Matt said, moving away from the desk so she could take his place in the spinning chair. She sat down and examined the photo on the screen before clicking a little arrow to scroll to the next. Downstairs, a door closed and a female voice called out to Matt. "I'll be right back." He grumbled before scurrying downstairs.

Ariadne kept scrolling through the photos as Matt went downstairs to talk to his mom. He had plenty of lacrosse photos so she added one but didn't bother adding any more considering you couldn't make out any facial detail. She found a really great photo of Danny and smiled, adding it to her growing folder. There were a few good photos of Stiles- one in particular wherein he was anxiously munching on his lacrosse stick strings like he always did- so she added them as well. But that's when she noticed an exceeding amount of photos centered entirely on Allison. At first she didn't think anything of it but as she continued to scroll through the photo gallery she just kept seeing more and more of Allison and none of them looked like Allison was aware of his presence.

"Those are private." Matt said, suddenly appearing out of now where and making Ariadne jump a little as he reached around her to exit out of the photo she'd been viewing. "I mean…you don't want any of those."

"You sure have a lot of Allison…" Ariadne mumbled seriously, watching Matt carefully as he pulled up another chair beside her.

"Well she's a fine subject." He excused lamely, blushing under her scrutinizing glare. "Here's one of Jackson. You want to add it?" he exclaimed, trying desperately to get the subject off of him. Ariadne turned to look at the photo and chuckled. Of course Jackson looked like a freaking supermodel as he looked off into the distance, his perfect hair sticking up in the front and his piercing green eyes looking far too inquisitive for his own good.

"Yeah sure add that one." She said as she chuckled at him. "Add that one too." Ariadne requested, pointing to a photo of Allison wherein she was smiling wide, most likely at Scott because she had that familiar adoring look. "We were kind of friends at the beginning of the semester. I should include her in the box."

Matt just nodded and added the photo and continued to scroll. "I don't have any photos of Erica or Boyd. They somehow always manage to avoid my camera. I don't really have any of Isaac either- I mean, other than the lacrosse photos."

"Oh, I might have a photo of Erica." Ariadne said, reaching for her phone. She flipped through the photos on her phone until she found the one she desired and showed it to Matt. "Think you could print that out for me?" she asked, handing the phone to him. The photo wasn't the best quality but it was really one of the only photos Ariadne had of her best friend. Erica was very uncharacteristically camera shy so Ariadne never really took photos of them together. But a few weeks ago they were messing around in Ariadne's backyard trying to figure out if they could start a bonfire later that night when a stray dog came bounding up to them. It was just a small white neighbor dog but it took an immediate liking to Erica, jumping up and licking her face and barking. Ariadne snuck a quick photo while Erica was busy laughing at the dog licking her chin. She was wearing sunglasses so you couldn't see her eyes, but the joy was there in her wide smile.

"I don't know how good the resolution is gonna be but I'll give it a shot." Matt replied before setting out to touch up the photo as best he could before printing it out. It wasn't exactly perfect but it was still a lovely photo and that's all Ariadne could ask for.

"Oh, hey I might actually have a photo of Isaac." Matt mumbled, pushing away from his desk towards his bed so he could grab his camera off the comforter. He scrolled through the photos on his memory card before saying, "There it is!" and handing her the camera. "I snuck that Sunday night at that party. Should I add it to your folder?"

Ariadne grabbed the camera and looked down at the photo. He wasn't looking at the camera so you couldn't see his perfect blue eyes but it was still a great photo. His curly hair was a mess and he was wearing that tight blue button up that accentuated his small waist and muscular arms. "Yeah…" Ariadne said with a smile. "Add it." She couldn't help but sigh as she looked at the photo and wondered how things could've gotten so complicated.

XXX

Matt got all of Ariadne's photos edited and printed faster than she expected so she called Mark on her way home and asked if he could meet her at the post office so they could mail the care package right away. Mark agreed so she stopped at home to grab the box and all the items they were going to put in it and headed back out in the direction of the post office. Mark was already there when she arrived so they assembled the box together. Ariadne showed him the photos she got and he flipped through them with a smile before placing them in the box along with a slew of candy, sunflower seeds, energy bars and water guns. But right before they closed up the box, Ariadne got an idea.

Searching through her pocketbook, Ariadne found a paper clip and a scrap piece of paper. Then she tapped the paperclip to the page and scribbled a note beside it. '_To help you keep it together when it all hits the fan.'_ She wrote with a smile than tucked the paper inside the box and closed the lid. They taped up the box and sent it on it's way before Taylor called requesting them home for dinner.

As Ariadne was walking back out to her car, her cell phone began to ring with Erica's ringtone so she answered happily. "Hey, E, what's up?" she answered as she unlocked her car and climbed inside.

"Where are you right now?" Erica asked, a hint of panic in her voice.

"Uhm, on my way home. Mark and I just shipped my dad's care package. Is something wrong?" Ariadne replied as she started her engine and lowered the radio that automatically came on.

Erica sighed. "Can I com over?" she requested hopefully. Even though Erica wished to be in the middle of the battle with Isaac and the others, keeping an eye out of Ariadne's safety was an important enough job.

"Sure, Taylor just called us home for dinner if you don't mind joining. I can pick you up in five." Ariadne said as she pulled out of her parking spot and headed towards her home.

"Thanks, I'll see you in a bit." Erica replied before they hung up. She paced the length of her bedroom, worry causing a crease in her brow. The pack was going out in search of the Kanima tonight but she opted to say behind as a look out on Isaac's behalf. Considering he couldn't exactly keep an eye on her without stalking her or angering her, Erica would take his place until the two reconciled their relationship. But that didn't mean Erica wasn't worried sick about the rest of her pack. This whole Kanima deal and the hunters in town…well it wasn't what she signed up for and she wasn't excited about the new plot twist. She just wanted a cure for her loneliness. Too bad she met Ariadne _after _the bite, maybe she wouldn't have been so desperate to sign up.

A car horn jolted Erica out of her thinking and so she grabbed her backpack and scurried down the stairs and out of the house. Climbing into Ariadne's car the girls drove back to Ariadne's home.

"Is there a reason you sounded so worried and desperate on the phone?" Ariadne asked casually- or what she meant to sound casual- as they drove with the radio playing quietly.

Erica shrugged unconvincingly. "Just kind of wanted to get the hell out of my house for a bit." she said, coming up with the only logical excuse she could muster up. Ariadne bought it for now, not questioning it any further.

When they arrived at the house, Erica had dinner with Ariadne and Mark and Taylor before the girls went upstairs to study. Erica's grades were taking a little bit of a hit recently but then again so had Ariadne's so they were studying together to try and up their grade. Though Erica was no history buff, Ariadne wasn't exactly a chemist so tutoring each other in their worst subjects wasn't an option. Rather they just put their heads together and tried to figure it out as a team. After a few hours though they were sick of studying and Erica grabbed a movie while Ariadne went to make popcorn.

"Hey," Erica greeted as she answered her ringing phone quietly. "How did it go?"

Isaac sighed on the other end of the line. "Not exactly well. How's Ariadne?" he replied and Erica shrugged despite being on a cell phone.

"She's fine, why? Did something happen tonight?"

This time when Isaac sighed, it was laced with acidity. "We're almost certain Gerard knows about us." He mumbled, both angry and terrified. "He knows Ariadne is close to us…I'm just scared he'll…" Isaac couldn't finish the sentence, the horrors too much for him to even think of.

"If Gerard gets anywhere near her I'll rip his throat out." Erica seethed in impotent rage. In reality there was so very little they could do against their enemy and that in and of itself was enough to have Isaac and Erica quivering with fear.

XXX

The next morning Ariadne woke up to a strange weight on her chest. Fluttering her eyes open, she looked down to see Erica draped across her chest, snoring lightly as she slept. Grunting, Ariadne tried to push her off, finding it more difficult than she thought it would be. Finally she just flicked Erica's nose and her best friend shot upright in a half second, swatting at Ariadne's hand in the process.

"You were suffocating me." Ariadne grumbled as she too sat up. Erica's wild eyes fell on hers and they chuckled. "C'mon we gotta clean up the kitchen before Taylor sees our baking experiment last night."

The girls had attempted to bake the previous night at two a.m. and wound up making a mess of the kitchen instead. Though the brownie/Funfetti cake mixture was delicious, there were ingredients strewn all about the kitchen. So the girls shuffled downstairs to clean it up before Taylor or Mark saw it. They were both still wearing their pajamas, Ariadne's consisting of a cream colored long sleeve shirt and red/white/grey plaid shorts, and Erica's being black yoga pants and a faded Batman tee. It had been a really long time since either of them had a sleepover and they had a blast; but Erica was unusually quiet the following morning as they cleaned up the kitchen and made breakfast.

"Good morning girls." Mark greeted with a smile as he walked into the kitchen where the girls were at the island eating their cereal. "How did you two sleep?"

"Fine," Ariadne replied as she munched on her Captain Crunch. "We didn't keep you up too late with our giggling, did we?" she asked, causing Erica to giggle quietly beside her.

"Not too late," Mark told her but the truth was Taylor sat up almost all night grumbling about how loud the girls were. Mark chucked it up to being cranky but he didn't want the girls to think Taylor wasn't okay with them having sleepovers. "Have anything planned for today?"

"You mean, aside from our dinner tonight." Taylor corrected, coming into the kitchen fully dressed unlike everyone else.

"That's tonight?" Erica asked, looking up from her cereal for the first time. Ariadne nodded, asking how she knew about it considering Ariadne never told her- knowing in advanced Erica wouldn't attend. "Oh…uhm, Isaac mentioned it."

Ariadne kind of froze; staring at Erica was a blank expression on her face. "Is Isaac still your plus-one, Taylor? Or are you bringing someone else?" Taylor asked pleasantly as she went about fixing herself a cup of coffee.

Ariadne cleared her throat, looking away from Erica and focusing on her cereal bowl the way Erica had previously been. "No Isaac isn't coming anymore." She grumbled to her cereal bowl. "Jackson offered to come though…" The words had barely left Ariadne's lips before Erica swiveled sharply in her chair, turning to face Ariadne with a grave expression.

"I have to go." She exclaimed in a rush, pushing her bowl aside and rushing out of the kitchen and upstairs. Ariadne followed quickly behind her, asking what the problem was and offering to drive her home but Erica just refused, saying, "I'll walk it's fine, I just remembered I have…something to do." as she gathered her things, threw on a pair of sneakers and bolted out the front door. But before she made it too far down the driveway she turned back around and said, "Ariadne! Stay safe tonight, alright?"

Ariadne hesitated on the stoop of the house, wrapping her arms around her torso to fight off the cold air. "What do you mean?" she asked seriously. She was no longer curious, now she was suspicious. She'd seen Erica do some pretty suspicious things before but this was definitely the weirdest. Too similar to how Isaac acted.

Erica sighed, running a hand through her blond hair. "Things are going to get very strange tonight and I just…I just want you to stay safe, alright?"

"Erica what aren't you telling me?" Ariadne asked, tears welling up in her eyes. "Do you know? Do you know what's going on? Are you keeping things from me too?"

Erica didn't know what to say or do as she stared up at her best friend, tears in both of their eyes. Struggling to find the right words, Erica just kept running her hands through her hair and pulling at the straps of her backpack. "Yes," she finally admitted softly. "I know what's happening. I know everything. But you have to hear me…"

"You too!?" Ariadne yelped, the tears finally spilling over her cheeks. "You know what's going on and you just, what? Didn't feel like telling me? Didn't think it was any of my business?"

"It's not like that!" Erica pleaded. "It's really fucking complicated and it's not entirely my secret to tell. This involves a lot of people, Ariadne. It involves Isaac and me and Boyd and Jackson, hell it even involves Stiles, Scott and Allison. There are a lot of people in this town fighting to keep this secret just that- a secret! I'm not the only one who's…"

"I don't care about them!" Ariadne interjected loudly. "I don't care what they have to do with, you know why? Cause I'm not best friends with Scott or Stiles or Allison or Boyd. I'm best friends with you, Erica, and you still kept this from me! You watched me cry over Isaac and the secrets you are all keeping and you never once bothered to clue me in!"

"I couldn't! I couldn't tell you! And I still can't!" Erica yelled, the tears pooling in her eyes until they streamed down her cheeks as well. "I can't tell you anything other than to please, please, please be careful tonight, Ariadne. Please!"

Why?" Ariadne snapped, crossing her arms over her chest defiantly.

"Because…it's the full moon."

* * *

Author's Note: Thanks for reading! The set on Polyvore (samitballi. polyvore. com) is under the title Secrets and it features Ariadne's outfit, her and Erica's P.J.'s as well as the photos Matt printed for her! Sorry this chapter is so short :( BUT ARIADNE FINDS OUT THE TRUTH IN THE NEXT CHAPTER! :)


	17. Chapter 17

Author's note: Back! I don't want to waist your time by rambling on and on considering all you want is to read ;) So I'll let you to it right after the review reviews. P.S. No Polyvore set for this one since the outfit is so simple. But you can still follow me on Polyvore as well as Twitter and Tumblr under the URL/Username Samitballi :)

**Wombaline:** Sorry it was so long lol

**Sam0728: **You'll just have to wait and see ;) hehe. I don't have too much time left with this story but I'm definitely going to figure some way to show her badass side. Like you said, she's the daughter of Marine, she's gotta know a thing or two :)

Enjoy!

* * *

Ariadne's bedroom door slamming shut made the entire wall quiver and a picture frame in the hallway all but fell down. Her hands were shaking as she paced the length of her bedroom trying to make sense of what Erica had told her. Or more so what Erica hadn't told her. What no one was telling her. She was completely in the black and that made Ariadne more furious than she ever had been before. No one had the right to keep her in the dark and by god she was going to try to catch up. So Ariadne stumbled to her closet, pulling out the closest pair of jeans and a red/black plaid button up and threw them on before grabbing a pair of black Toms and a hoodie. Running down the steps, she barely stopped at the door to grab her keys, knocking over a few things on the table in the process.

"Where are you…" Taylor was in the middle of asking but Ariadne just ran out the front door and slammed it behind her. Rushing to her car, she struggled to get the key in the lock before finally succeeding with a grunt. As she turned on the car and pulled out of the driveway, she pulled her cell phone from her pocket.

"Ariadne?" Isaac answered; both worry and joy in his tone.

"Where are you right now?" she asked but he hesitated so she asked again, this time louder.

"What's wrong? Did something…"

"Where are you, Isaac?" she snapped, all but yelling at him. Isaac swallowed hard before saying he was home. "You know I still don't know where home is for you, Isaac. I need directions."

"Why do you want to come here? What's going on, Ariadne? Are you okay?" he asked frantically but when he was met with silence he heaved a sigh and gave her directions to the subway station.

"Why the…never mind." She grumbled before hanging up. Never mind he gave her directions to an abandoned warehouse, never mind the implications of that and never mind pain growing in her chest. She just needed answers and she needed them right away. So Ariadne drove nearly twice the speed limit, going the route Isaac had told her until she pulled up outside the abandoned subway station and saw the familiar black Camaro Derek drove.

_Do I really want to do this?_ She asked herself but shook her head and said yes. _You need this._ So she steeled herself and got out of the car, feeling her hands shake as she slid her keys into the pocket of her jeans. The sound of her sneakers against the pavement was the only sounds she could hear and for some reason that was so thoroughly unsettling to her. It was still early in the morning; the sun still trying to work it's way into the sky through the clouds. Most everyone was still asleep if not on their way into work but Ariadne knew no one would be around for miles. Something else that was incredibly unsettling.

Walking up to the massive metal double doors, Ariadne sucked in a deep breath, trying to reassure herself and get her heart to start beating regularly again. Putting all of her weight into it, Ariadne pushed the door aside and walked through and into the hallway. There really wasn't much to the place, just rusted out walls and floors. Most of the lights were burnt out but there was a dim glow up ahead and so that's where Ariadne headed. As she got closer she could hear muted voices and so this time she didn't hesitate to push open the doors and enter.

It was a larger space, with train carts everywhere, most of which looked so beat up she couldn't believe they were still standing. The lights here worked and so she could see Isaac standing inside the doorway to one of the subway carts. Upon her entrance, his head swiveled towards her. She looked so messed up and disheveled, Isaac couldn't help the worried expression that graced his face. He stopped out of the cart slowly and approached her just as cautiously.

"You…live here?" she whispered, her words barely audible to the human ear. Of course Isaac could hear her though. He listened to her heartbeat, unhappy to hear it's irregular beat. When he was close enough, Isaac ducked his head a little so he could catch her eye.

"What's wrong?" he asked seriously. She was looking around the room, taking stock of the weird environment until he spoke and she looked up at him. When she entered the subway station she was on the hunt for answers but when she looked up at Isaac's perfect steel blue eyes all she wanted was comfort. She just wanted to collapse into his arms and let him hold her for a little bit the way he used to. Just being in his arms used to make her burden easier to bear.

"Isaac," she whispered, her voice still so soft that she was surprised he even heard her. "What's going on?" He looked down at her, so many emotions in his eyes. She looked so desperate and on the verge of tears so Isaac took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair.

"You really want to know? Cause once you do…there's no turning back." He told her seriously, giving her fair warning. He wouldn't hold it against her if she ran away screaming even now. It was a lot to handle- a lot to take it- and if it proved too much for Ariadne, Isaac would understand. He wouldn't try to chase her or even blame her. He would let her run away because she wasn't the only one in the room who thought he was a monster.

"Yes," she mouthed the words, this time the sound not even coming out. She cleared her throat, trying to push away the tears threatening her eyesight. Clenching her fists, Ariadne fought desperately to keep her composure. The weight of everything pushing down on her shoulders was getting to be too much and she was on the verge of a meltdown but she stayed strong. She needed answers and she wasn't leaving until she got them. Even if that meant staying all night until she started to cry.

Isaac took one step closer to her, so close in fact that his chest almost touched hers. Reaching out to stroke her cheek gently, Isaac smiled a little. "Before I tell you my secret…can I tell you something else?" he asked and she nodded immediately. He left his hand on her cheek, loving the softness and the warmth of her skin against his. "I never told you much about my family. You know my dad was…mean, but I never really explained it. I'd like the chance to do so."

Ariadne nodded, sniffling as the tears continued to pool at the brim of her eye. "My mom died when I was little," Isaac said seriously. "I don't remember much about her or what life was like when she was still around. I was only a kid, no older than six when she died so I guess it's natural that I don't remember. But I wish I did. Cause when Camden used to talk about her…he made it sound like things were perfect before she died. He said Dad was happy then and so was he, and Mom…she was just a ray of sunshine all the time. But when she was killed everything changed. And that's what I remember most. It started out slowly, the joy eventually leaving our house all together. Dad didn't say much and he did even less. Camden was always somewhere else with friends or whatever. Then when I was nine s-something bad happened and even though no one would tell me what…I could tell it drove my dad to his breaking point. It wasn't long after that he started drinking. But he never actually hit me until Camden went into the military. I guess because he knew I'd go running right to my brother and hide behind him. I did that a lot as a kid. Camden was a hothead but that usually worked to my advantage.

"Anyway, my dad progressively got meaner and meaner and eventually he started to like it. He derived some sort of pleasure in punishing me. M-maybe it was his way of punishing himself, I'll never really know. He would boss me around and throw stuff at me and when I messed up he'd…he'd lock me in the basement. One day I broke the railing on the stairs when I kicked it, too angry to care how furious Dad would be. From that…from that point on he started locking me in the freezer box so I-I couldn't break anything. Well anything but my nails- but I eventually stopped trying to claw my way out. I spent a lot of nights in that freezer wishing- _praying_- for someone to save me or help me or do anything. But no one ever came. Mom was gone, Camden died in combat and I-I didn't have any friends. No one came to save me. I was completely alone.

"And up until this year I've felt so alone, so thoroughly helpless. Then literally within a matter of months everything changed for me. But I still felt alone. I made friends out of Derek, Boyd and Erica- hell even Scott and Stiles- but in my heart I was still alone. T-then…I met you. And I thought to myself, hey…maybe I don't have to be alone. That's what you did for me, Ariadne. You made me feel like I was worth something, like I was special and loved. You made me feel a part of something bigger than just me. You made me fall in love with you- not because you're the most amazing girl I've ever met or because you're more beautiful than I could ever imagine- but because you saw something in me that no one else did. You saw p-past my awkward social skills and my flaws and you saw something worth wile and for that…for that I can't thank you enough."

When Isaac finished talking, he sucked in a deep breath with tears soaking his eyes. Ariadne couldn't control the tears that tumbled down her cheeks as she looked up into his eyes. They were close enough together that when Isaac let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, she could feel it move her eyelashes. The head of his chest so close to hers and the pink flooding his cheeks was too much and Ariadne suddenly flung herself at him. Reaching up on her tiptoes, she wrapped her arms around his neck and held fast to him, shaking a little as she cried. Isaac's immediate reaction was to encircled his arms around her waist and hold her tightly to his chest as he enveloped her, leaning to her small body with a tearful smile.

"Thank you for telling me that." she whispered, sniffling as she tried to control her emotions. Isaac didn't say anything, just held her close for a minute longer. God how he missed holding her; her body fit so perfectly next to his even though she was so much smaller. He stayed close to her a little while longer before finally pulling away. Smiling, Isaac brushed away the tears on her cheeks with the pad of his thumb.

"Okay, I'm sorry I didn't mean to make you cry." He said with a chuckle but Ariadne was too busy trying to calm down. Her heart hadn't slowed a bit since she'd entered the subway station so she tried to focus on that. If she could calm herself down, stop her hands from shaking and her heart from pounding so painfully against her ribcage, than she'd be ready to hear what else Isaac had to say.

"There's a reason I couldn't tell you my secret, Ariadne, and it's because it's not a pretty secret." Isaac said seriously once he thought she was ready. She looked up at him evenly, her emotions under control for the most part. "When we're kids our parents tell us stories about magical creatures but they also tell us that they don't exist. Well our parents were wrong because those magical creatures do…" Isaac was interrupted mid-sentence by the sound of a door slamming open so he and Ariadne immediately turned towards the sound, Isaac instinctively leaning in front of Ariadne in a protective stance.

"What did you do?" Erica yelped, looking between Ariadne and Isaac. "You told her!?"

"Erica wait, calm down," Isaac started to say but Erica lost it. Whether because of the full moon or because of the fight she'd just had with Ariadne, didn't matter. She growled low in the back of her throat, claws coming out as she leaned back in a fight stance. Isaac immediately stepped in front of Ariadne and crouched down as well, his own set of claws coming out.

"Erica calm down! I haven't…" Isaac can't even get the words out before Erica leaps at him, tackling him to the ground. Ariadne scurried out of the way but she didn't say a thing; couldn't say a thing. She just stood back and watched with a dumbfound expression, unsure of what was really going on.

Both Erica and Isaac's fangs were out as the crashed to the floor and wrestled. Isaac was being sure not to actually hurt her but at the same time he was thinking a hard bite might bring her back down to earth. In a bloodlusty haze, they both just kept fighting, rolling on the gross dirty floor until the roar of their Alpha stopped them. Derek appeared quite literally out of nowhere, standing directly behind Ariadne who, upon hearing the fearsome howl, cowered into herself, yelping for the first time. Isaac looked up to see the terrified expression on Ariadne's face as her knees buckled and she started to fall over. Even though Isaac stood up to try and catch her, Derek was the one to hold her up when Ariadne passed out.

"I got her," Derek mumbled when Isaac rushed over to him. Placing an arm under her knees and the other around her neck, Derek hoisted her up into his arms effortlessly. He'd seen this kind of reaction multiple times before and it probably didn't help that she'd just been on the emotional roller coaster of a lifetime. Derek shot a disapproving glare up at Isaac; telling him without words the unbelievable bad timing this was.

Isaac rubbed the back of his neck, retracting his claws and fangs. "She came here looking for answers and I figured I might as well be honest with her now, considering it was my dishonesty that got us in this mess. I wasn't finished telling her yet."

Derek just frowned, shaking his head at his two betas. "You can blame this on the full moon, but I really expected more from you two." He snapped sourly before walking away with Ariadne, leaving the two younger werewolves to think about the mess they just created.

Derek walked down the hallways until he found an isolated area where he could lay Ariadne down. He was as gentle as he could manage, placing her on a hard metal table in a room at the opposite end of the hallway. She started to stir as soon as the cold metal touched her skin. "W-what happened?" she mumbled unintelligibly as her eyes fluttered open and she struggled to sit up.

"You passed out but you're okay now." Derek told her seriously, helping her sit upright. Swinging her legs off the side of the table, she placed a hand to her forehead in pain. "What do you remember?"

She was quiet for a minute before cracking her neck and saying, "I'm not really sure what the hell I saw but I know it wasn't natural." clearly. She looked up at Derek with surprising confidence in her eyes. He could see through it though and knew she was terrified just under the surface of her pooling blue eyes.

"Well you're right about that. It was more…supernatural." He said seriously, staring back at her evenly. He was impressed by the denseness of her stare; she wasn't wavering an inch as she studied Derek carefully. He was a hard man to read but she was trying her hardest and he'd be damned if he said it didn't make him sweat a little.

"What do you mean?" she asked, finally blinking for the first time since their eyes connected. Finally out from her scrutinizing glare, Derek stood up from where he was kneeling in front of her and sat beside her on the long table she occupied.

"Would you rather hear it from me or from Isaac?" he asked but Ariadne just kind of shrugged. "Considering it's the full moon he doesn't have much control right now, so why don't I tell you?"

"Why does everyone keep bringing up the full moon?" she asked exasperatedly, rubbing her sore neck. The headache pounding in her skull was agonizing but she held fast to her self-promise to get answers _now_.

"Because the full moon affects us."

"_Us_ being…who?" Ariadne asked, looking up at Derek who just kind of smiled a little.

"Me, Erica, Isaac, Boyd and Scott." Derek said evenly, watching the realization resonate within Ariadne's cobalt blue eyes.

"…Because you're…" she started to whisper but couldn't get the word out so Derek finished for her.

"Werewolves,"


	18. Chapter 18

Author's Note: Sorry it took me so long to upload this chapter! Things got kind of crazy for me over the holiday and despite wanting to upload this chapter Wednesday, here I am, Thursday night just finally uploading lol! Hope everyone who celebrates had a happy thanksgiving! I ate too much but then again I always do ;)

**Review Reviews!**

**Sum:** Don't die! lol thanks for your review and lovely words :)

**Sam0728: **I rode the edge of "how-will-she-react!?" as long as I could but I'm glad you liked it :) Her badass will definitely be coming out in the next two chapters! I'm pretty excited to see what you think ;) Thank you very much!

**ispy239: **Thank you so much! That means a lot; really. I love when people say they've spent a significant amount of time reading my stories, as a small-fry writer that's one of the highest compliments I can imagine! I appreciate the time you put into reading my story and I hope you continue to read :)

**Anonymous: **Thank you very much! Only a few more chapters but I hope to get them up within five days of each other :)

I have to say I had a blast writing this chapter. There's a lot of neat stuff packed into this chapter but surprisingly enough the chapter itself is only 2,804 words. I thoroughly enjoyed taking a step back and really writing full blocks of inner-conflict. I'm usually a very dialog driven writer so the fact that I was able to write so much _thinking _excites me to no end lol. But I'll just let you read for yourself ;)

Enjoy!

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Ariadne walked through the school hallways alone for the first time in a long time. There were students all around but no one was paying any attention to her and she didn't give anyone a second glance. She just trudged down the halls alone, her mind a complete blank. She'd stopped trying to process Derek's words long ago, now she was just focused on what to do with the information.

"Scott too!?" she gasped, running a hand down her face. "Tell me Stiles is a…a w-werewolf too?"

_Derek smiled a little as he said no. "But with the existence of werewolves, there is also hunters. Allison and her family hunt my kind. They…are you okay? You're looking kinda pale. Are you gonna pass out again?"_

"_No I'm just…it's a lot to process."_

"_I haven't even told you half of it. But it's late and you should get to school." Derek replied but Ariadne just laughed._

"_You expect me to concentrate on literature and chemistry and history after everything you just told me!? I'm sorry but that doesn't seem all that possible right this minute." Ariadne snapped but slid of the table they shared and headed for the door anyway. "Hey, Derek…can I…if I…I mean…in the f…would it…" she mumbled unintelligibly, halfway through the doorway._

"_If you have any questions you can come to me." He said with a small smile, sounding sweeter than he could ever remember sounding. Ariadne just smiled appreciatively before ducking out the door and to her car._

Ariadne decided to take a few classes off in the morning and go into school later. She really would've rather not gone to school at all but that would only raise more questions and besides, curling up into a ball on her bedroom floor may seem like the most cathartic thing, it wasn't the best way to handle the situation. So she headed home to change into black skinny jeans, brown ankle boots and a simple navy sweater. Grabbing her backpack off the ground and her tan peacoat off her desk chair, she made sure to grab her dad's dog tags off the mirror where they hung and sling them around her neck. Then she went back out to her car and headed towards the school.

Her first two classes were the hardest but by the time lunch rolled around, the life had finally returned to her face and she was able to focus a little better. But walking into the lunchroom, a new problem caught her attention. Where to sit? Isaac and Erica were skipping- most likely to cool down after their fight and stick around Derek during the full moon- but she didn't want to sit with Jackson and the swim team. Pretending nothing was wrong was really getting difficult and she didn't feel like putting up a front. So she turned on her heels and headed for the bleachers so she could eat alone. But an idea struck her and she dumped her food and headed down the halls in search of two people.

"We need to talk," she said sternly, coming up behind Stiles and making him jump. He'd been talking closely with Scott, who upon her arrival tried to force a smile. "I know." That's all it took. Two simple words and both Scott and Stiles were reduced to mumbling puddles of unintelligible stupidity.

"I…erm, h-how…but…when…I-I…" they both fumbled awkwardly, mouthing syllables rather than actual words. Finally Scott asked, "Who told you?"

"Derek. Well Isaac and Erica threw down in an epic werewolf fight right in front of me and so Derek explained it." she grumbled, surprised how easily the word 'werewolf' slipped down her tongue.

"Derek!? What did he tell you?" Stiles asked, leaning in closely as if they were sharing a deep secret even though the hallway was completely deserted.

"He told me all about the wolves and the hunters and the full moon tonight. But what I want to know is how dangerous is it gonna get? Cause Mark is with the sheriffs department and if he gets hurt running after one of you mutts I swear to god I'll have you all neutered." She threatened seriously. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Stiles smile a little at the fact her witty threat was so similar to something he would say.

"Don't worry, Stiles's dad is the sheriff and we've yet to get him killed." Scott pacified lamely. "I'm more worried about you."

"Don't worry about me, McCall, I won't be going anywhere near you guys tonight. I may be curious but I'm pretty certain I don't want to actually see first hand the moons effect."

"Wise choice," Stiles muttered beside her but neither Ariadne nor Scott paid him much attention.

Scott heaved a heavy sigh, running a hand through his hair as he said, "Just be careful, okay? People tend to get hurt on the full moon and for Isaac's sake I don't want that to be you."

XXX

After school Ariadne went straight home only to be reminded of the benefit dinner that night. Groaning loudly, Ariadne all but threw a tantrum, begging Taylor to let her stay home. But Taylor wasn't having it. "It is not going to kill you, Ariadne. It is one dinner I think you can put up with that." Taylor said seriously as they stood in the entrance way to the house.

Ariadne moaned as she stomped up the stairs. "You don't understand what today is!" she grumbled even though Taylor was out of hearing range. There was a dress hanging on Ariadne's closet door that she was supposed to wear. Taylor picked it out but Ariadne liked in nevertheless. It was a pretty burgundy knee length cocktail dress with a sparkly embellished sweetheart neckline bodice and flowing tulle skirt. She planed on wearing the same satin black pumps Erica made her wear to the party last Sunday and she had a cream colored lace clutch that matched perfectly. But as Ariadne stared at the dress on the closet, she wanted nothing more than to throw it away. No, more than that, she wanted to throw it aside, pull out the closest pair of sweats, curl up on her bed and let herself cry. That's what she really wanted.

"Ariadne?" Mark's voice called through the closed door. "Taylor said you don't want to come tonight. Can we talk about it?" he asked but didn't open the door. Silence lingered for a minute but eventually Ariadne called him into the room.

"How could anyone _want_ to go to a stuffy benefit dinner where they don't know anyone and everyone in attendance has their nose so high in the air they probably can't even see you." Ariadne gripped, falling down to her bed with a sigh.

"Well you aren't entirely wrong about the company but aren't you bringing a friend?" Mark asked as he came in and sat on the bed beside her.

"No, I'm bringing Jackson. We're not really friends right now."

"Why not? I thought you guys got a bit closer recently." Mark asked.

Sighing, Ariadne sat upright on the bed, crossing her legs. "We did, then last Sunday he tried to kiss me at a party. It made things weird considering I still love Isaac and he's _so_ not my type. The only reason I said he could come was because I didn't want to go alone."

"I see," Mark said with a nod. "Well I'm sure you'll find a way to make tonight somewhat bearable. Can I tell you a story quickly?"

Ariadne looked up, surprised by the turn in conversation but said, "Sure, what do you want to tell me?"

"Well it's about your dad. I've known your dad for a _long_ time. In fact, we grew up together. There are multiple very embarrassing photos of the two of us in dippers. So naturally I saw your dad go through and do a lot of things. But nothing amazed me more than when he decided to join the military. It was such a brave thing to do- to lay your life on the line for your country like that. It's one of the reasons I decided to join the force; because even if I wasn't under constant gunfire in Iraq, I could make a difference here in the states. Anyway, on my wedding day of all days I told your dad how amazed I was by his choices in life. And you know what he told me?"

Ariadne shook her head but she had an idea as to what her father might have said.

"He said to me, 'Mark, what I'm doing isn't brave. What you're doing…now that's brave.' And he wasn't talking about my career at the sheriffs department or any of that. He was talking about Taylor. He looked me in the eye and said…"

"Falling in love is the bravest thing you could possibly do." Ariadne cut in, finishing his sentence word for word. Smiling she said, "He used to tell me that all the time- still does. I never really understood it."

Mark smiled down at her as he asked if she understood it now. When Ariadne shook her head, Mark explained. "Going out and firing a gun at someone's who's firing right back at you is pretty damn brave. Spending months in sweltering heat to save the lives of people you've never met is pretty damn brave. But laying your heart on the line…_phew_, there's nothing quite like it. Because you're heart is so important, it's so precious, especially when it's as pure as yours. To lay that dear unadulterated heart on the line, to open it up to that level of risk…well it takes a seriously strong and brave person. That's what makes a person brave, Ariadne, their ability to love! Cause it's the best and scariest thing you'll ever do and I'll be damned if I'm not proud of you for doing it. You fell in love with Isaac the way most people are terrified of and for that…you are so very, very brave. That's why I know tonight is going to be a walk in the park for you. Cause if you can love so deeply and solely, then a little dinner with some stuck up pricks can't even touch you."

Mark didn't say another word before kissing the top of her head and walking out of the room. At first Ariadne just kind of stared blankly at the door, trying to retain the _new _information- as if she hadn't had enough already. But when she finally found a renewed sense of being, she slipped into her dress, pulled her hair up into an intricate up-do and threw on some makeup. It wasn't going to be fun but she'd make it through the evening- God willing. She repeated a mantra of _they can't even touch you, this can't even touch you_ in her head as she finished getting ready and headed downstairs where Jackson was waiting in a black tux, looking more handsome than any teenager should be allowed. He greeted her with a hug and they exchanged compliments, all the while Taylor swooned. She was still hoping they'd get together and have perfect little rich babies but Ariadne was in no mood to humor the disillusioned woman so she got out of the house as soon as possible. She rode with Jackson in his Porsche to the dinner, separate from Mark and Taylor. Continuing to chant, Taylor made it through introductions and small talk until halfway through dinner when she absolutely needed an escape and hid out in the bathroom for a bit. Even the bathroom was fancy.

After washing her hands, Ariadne leaned against the sink as she studied her reflection. As a child Ariadne's eyes were always a little too large. She eventually grew into them but for years she received compliment after compliment about her stunningly blue almond shaped eyes. As a child she never understood people's fascination with her eyes but when she got a little older she realized it was kind of rare for someone to have skin as light as hers with hair dark as hers and eyes as richly colored as well. Her father always told her it made her even more special. But at the moment, Ariadne felt anything but special.

She felt discombobulated and even a little afraid. When she looked in the mirror, she didn't see the big blue almond eyes that were sometimes covered by the overwhelming amount of blunt black bangs she had as a child. She saw eyes that watched her two best friends transform into werewolves just a few hours prior. She saw eyes that were mistrusting and naive and so damn stupid. But she also saw a pair of eyes that were entirely in love.

There was no denying it. Isaac's heartfelt confession not only left Ariadne in tears but it also made her love him all the more. Not just because of the puppy personification and because the poor boy really needed hug, but because she could relate.

Since she was a child, Ariadne watched her father ship of to foreign places on a semi regular basis, sometimes not to be seen or heard from for days if not weeks and sometimes even months. It was never easy and her mother leaving only made it all the harder. She could remember on numerous occasions asking her father to put her hair in pigtails- her favorite style until she was nine- but he never did as good a job as her mom. The realization that her mother was gone and she'd never see her again didn't sink in until a year or two after she left. Unfortunately Ariadne's father was away and she was staying with family friends at the time so she kept the mental breakdown to herself. She was ten years old but she knew to lock herself in the closet and cry quietly so no one would hear or bother her. It was all down hill from there.

She found other ways to deal with the loneliness besides crying all the time. For a period of time as a preteen, she self-harmed but even that didn't comfort her enough. Nowadays the scars on her thighs are a symbol not of a low point in her life but of desperation. Her untainted need for some sort of cure for the loneliness. She never found one.

Until she arrived in Beacon Hills and everything changed. Suddenly she met two of the world's best cures and the ache in her chest wasn't so horrendous. All of a sudden she could go days, even weeks, without shedding a single tear- something Ariadne hadn't been able to do since she was six. Meeting Isaac turned her whole life upside-down in the best way. And even though she still missed her father and even her mother, Ariadne found her smiles were more genuine and her heart was content. The anxiety she was once on medication for wasn't a problem. The self-harming she once found comfort in did nothing for her. The hurt in her heart was bearable. But all of that imploded when she found out Isaac was keeping secrets and lying to her.

Isaac was Ariadne's one source of pure, unadulterated, and wonderful happiness. To lose that was to lose a bit of Ariadne's sanity. Then to find out the secret was lycanthrope…well, Ariadne was all but ready to sign herself up for the loony bin. She felt like she was losing her mind but she couldn't do anything about it. The only thing she could do was dry her hands, fix her lipstick and walk back out to the worlds worst dinner party ever.

But as Ariadne exited the bathroom and headed back to her table, a very special sight caught her eye and a sliver of her sanity returned to her. Clad in a cheep black suit and a lose tie, never before had there been a better picture of happiness. His hair was messy even though he'd clearly made some effort to tame the wild curls and he was wearing black Converse high top sneakers.

"I must have the wrong place," he said as he approached her. "See I was looking for a stuffy benefit dinner party but all I see right now is a beautiful girl that belongs in a fairytale."

"I guess that would make you my prince than." Ariadne replied softly, not moving away as he continued to approach until they were just inches apart and she had to crane her neck to look up at his crystal silver eyes.

"I'll try my best," he promised.

"Isaac," she whispered but didn't have time to finish her sentence as his lips were suddenly on hers.

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Author's Note: There are actually two Polyvore sets for this chapter! They're both under my Polyvore username Samitballi. The first- being Ariadne's school outfit and a picture of her as a baby- is called Processing and the set featuring Ariadne's dress and Jackson and Isaac's suits is called Fairtytale :) Thank you for reading! Questions? Comments? Concerns? Leave a review ;)


	19. Chapter 19

Author's Note: So it's super late at night and I was just sitting on my bedroom floor eating some Nutella and drinking coco, about to log off the internet and go to bed when I suddenly realized I hadn't uploaded this chapter yet! For some reason I'd fully convinced myself I'd uploaded last night! So I feel pretty stupid lol but nevertheless, here's the chapter ;)

**Review Reviews!**

**Sam0728: **Thanks! I wanted to get a small taste of what Ariadne was like before Isaac came around- not much, but enough to make you realize how much he'd changed for her :) There's a little badassery in this chapter for you ;) Hope you like!

**LadyMorph18:** Thank you very much! :)

**UrWorstNightmare97: **hehe I take it you like romantic!Isaac? :)

**Anonymous: **It's later than I wanted :( But like I said up top, I totally thought I'd posted earlier lol But I will be sticking to uploading every 5 days (or at least trying haha)

There's no Polyvore set for this chapter because it's all one night. You can still check out my other sets or follow me at Samitballi. polyvore. com. My twitter handle and Tumblr URL is the same (samitballi) so you can follow those as well if you'd like :) Only a few more chapters to go! It's almost over :( But I hope that you like what I've got planed!

Enjoy!

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Leaning into the kiss was involuntary, as was her immediate smile. Isaac's hands rested on either side of her face, holding her to him like he never wanted to let go. The tips of his long fingers messed up her perfect hair as he held fast to the back of her neck. Kissing Isaac felt so right in that moment that Ariadne completely forgot about the dinner she was supposed to attend. As she wrapped her arms around his waist, feeling the itchy fabric of his worn out suit, Ariadne couldn't be bothered to question his sudden appearance. How he remembered the event or why he bothered to come wasn't her concern. At the moment, her only concern was the taste of his lips against hers. And oh how she loved it. It was like a fairytale, Isaac showing up looking stunningly beautiful with a smile and an invitation to make the evening infinitely better. Ariadne was swooning before she even got the chance to stop herself.

They finally pulled apart but Isaac kept her close, resting his forehead against hers as he smiled. "My god I've missed kissing you." he said with a chuckle but kissed her again before Ariadne had time to reply.

"Isaac I don't know if I can…"

"Shhh," Isaac whispered using his thumb to lightly caress her cheek. "Let's not talk about it now. Let's just forget about all the technicalities for a little while."

"How? I can't just suddenly forget what I saw this afternoon. I can't forget what you are or the implications of tonight being a full moon." She whispered as she linked her fingers together behind his back.

Sighing, Isaac nodded. "I don't expect you to forget, and I don't even expect you to understand. I just need you to…" Isaac's sentence was cut short when he looked over Ariadne's head. The look on his face couldn't be described as anything other than a scowl as Jackson emerged from the dinning room.

"What are you doing here, Lahey?" Jackson asked, approaching slowly with his hands tucked in the pockets of his expensive tux.

"I could ask you the same thing." Isaac retorted bitterly. He instinctively angled himself protectively in front of Ariadne even though Jackson was no threat in that moment.

"I came here with Ariadne, didn't she tell you? Since you chickened out, I stepped in to take your place." Jackson retorted confidently. Ariadne immediately moved in front of Isaac, weather to keep him from jumping Jackson or to interject in the conversation was unclear.

"Now hold up, I didn't ask you here to take Isaac's place, I asked you to keep me company so I wouldn't be bored. You said we could come here just as friends, Jackson. If you can't do that then I think it's best if you leave." Ariadne said seriously, crossing her arms over her chest as she stood before Jackson.

"C'mon, Ariadne, you can't possibly be taking this idiot's side. I mean look at him, look at the suit he's wearing! You asked me to come to this dinner with you and I've been waiting at our table for twenty minutes now let's go back." Jackson suggested strongly, reaching out to grab her arm but Isaac intervened before he got the chance to touch her.

"Back off, Jackson." He told him seriously, stepping directly in front of Ariadne and getting in Jackson's face. The show down initiated instantly but Ariadne pushed her way between them and yelled for them to knock it off.

"We are in a public building and you two are acting like complete idiots. Back off! Both of you!" she whisper-yelled. The dinning room was bustling with people whereas the hallway in which they stood was completely deserted. Ariadne looked around cautiously to make sure know what was watching the altercation. The last thing she needed was an all out brawl at Taylor's special dinner.

"I'm not leaving until our dinner is done." Jackson said, sounding like a two-year-old.

"Fine, than we're leaving." Isaac said, grasping Ariadne's hand and steering her towards the exit but she swiftly pulled herself free of his grasp and stomped her foot.

"No! You two are both leaving right now!" she yelled, remembering to keep her voice down only after the words left her mouth. Grabbing Isaac's wrist, she steered him a little further away from Jackson just so the nosey teen couldn't hear as she said, "You look amazing, Isaac, and it's really sweet of you to remember and show up here. I imagine Boyd is somewhere nearby as your wingman. But right now I really just need you to leave. Go back to Derek and wait out this full moon. We can talk tomorrow but right now I just need to avoid a fight. I have to get through this dinner and you have to get through the full moon and then we'll talk about all those semantics we can't avoid. I promise I'll make time to talk to you tomorrow just leave now please."

Isaac sighed heavily, the conflict clear in his eyes. Leaving almost meant giving up to Jackson but if it was Ariadne's wish, he'd comply. So he touched her cheek lightly one last time before giving her a hearty kiss. "You look stunning," he whispered as he leaned his forehead against hers for one more minute before pulling back and walking away. It was probably one of the hardest things he'd ever done, but Isaac made himself walk down the opposite side of the hallway until he exited the building.

Boyd was waiting there, leaning against Derek's car with his arms crossed over his chest. "Dude, I didn't expect to see you back so soon. How'd it go?" he asked as Isaac approached. His slumped shoulders was enough of a tell but Isaac said she didn't want to see him until tomorrow. "Cause of the full moon?" Boyd asked, leaning across the top of the Camaro.

"Maybe, or maybe because she's still not ready to face the idea her boyfriend is a werewolf." Isaac snapped sourly, leaning his forehead against the cool metal of the black car.

"_Ex_-boyfriend," Boyd corrected, earning a glare from Isaac.

"You know you really aren't helping here, Boyd." Isaac rejoined before climbing into the car. The moon wasn't quite up yet but both the boys could feel the effects. Neither really wanted to be out right now but Isaac wouldn't let it go. Especially after the way he left things with Ariadne at the subway station he really needed to see her again. So he somehow convinced Boyd to steal Derek's car and drive him to the dinner in hopes of winning Ariadne's affection or at least getting a chance to talk to her. Now that that failed, the boys were just going to head back to the subway station and incur Derek's wrath. But Isaac made Boyd stop the car before they were even out of the parking lot.

"That SUV looks familiar," he mumbled, pointing out the red SUV across the parking lot.

"Oh I've seen that SUV before." Boyd said, worry creeping into his voice. "I've seen it a few times."

"Where?" Isaac asked as he leaned forward in his seat to get a better look.

"At the rave…and at school…picking Allison up…that's Argent's SUV."

XXX

"Jackson you need to leave as well." Ariadne said sternly, turning towards Jackson only after Isaac was completely gone from sight. "Bringing you here was a bad idea. I thought we could just be friends but that's clearly not an option for you. And you know what…I'm over it. If you can't grow up for two seconds and figure out how to be friends with someone- and I mean real friends- than I don't know what we're doing. Why are we even bothering? I thought I could help you but you don't want help."

"I don't need help! I'm perfectly fine." Jackson snapped, all but cutting her off as she continued to chastise him. Ariadne shook her head, running a hand over her face but being carefully not to mess up her makeup.

"Just go home, Jackson. And please don't call me." She replied seriously, turning and walking back towards the dinner hall.

"Ariadne wait," Jackson called after her, stopping her just before she opened the double doors. "What do you want me to say? Do you want me to say I'm sorry? Cause I'm not. I'm not sorry I like you, Ariadne, cause I'd be an idiot _not_ to. You're really sweet, and kind, and smart, and funny, and you're one of the prettiest girls I've ever seen. And for some mysterious reason you actually tolerate me. So yeah, I fell for you. Is that such a problem, Ariadne? That I think you're wonderful?"

"That's not the problem, Jackson. The problem is the fact that you can't understand how I feel for Isaac. Maybe because you've never been in that kind of love before…I don't know…but you _have_ to understand that I love Isaac. I've never loved anyone more than I love Isaac. I don't, nor will I ever, love you that way. I may tolerate you and hell I may even find you nice at times. But I will never love you the way I love Isaac. And it's not right of me to drag you around if you like me. So let's just end this right here and now." Ariadne replied, some of her words getting caught in her throat.

"How are we supposed to end it, huh? We're on the swim team together, we're lab partners! We're gonna see each other every day and I know that when I see you…all I'm going to think of is how much I want to be friends. I'll push away my feelings, I don't care, just don't…don't give up on me yet, Ariadne. Please." Jackson pleaded, grabbing her shoulders.

"I'm not giving up on you, Jackson. We're just taking a break. I think that's what we both need right now. Goodbye," she whispered. Detaching herself from his hands, Ariadne turned and walked down the hallway away from Jackson. She didn't go back into the dinning room but she didn't leave the building either; she just walked and walked and walked until she found someplace far enough away that she could sink to the floor and start to cry.

She sat in an abandoned hallway crying into her hands for a few good minutes before a voice made her jump.

"I guess that's what you get for making friends with lizards and werewolves." The voice said, coming from down the hall. Ariadne turned towards the sound, squinting to see the figure before her.

"Excuse me?" she asked, still trying to make out the tall man's figure. She slowly stood up, leaving her heels on the floor next to her. "Who are you?"

"You can call me Gerard." He said, coming just close enough for her to see his face. "Gerard Argent."

That's when she felt two arms wrap around her torso from behind, pulling her towards them harshly. A scream lingered on her tongue as she tried to pivot and see who was behind her. A gloved hand covered her mouth so Ariadne bit it, hard, as she simultaneously slammed her elbow into her assailants ribcage with all the force she could before turning and punching him directly in the nose, causing him to scream and fall backwards. The man behind her tried to console all of his wounds at once, cradling his bloody nose, his sore hand and his cracked rib all at the same time.

"Impressive," Gerard mumbled, drawing Ariadne's attention back to him as she put space between her and the two mysterious men. "But I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to come with me anyway. You're very important to me."

"Who the hell are you and what do you know about me?" Ariadne yelled, angling herself towards the exit. If she could get within two bounds of the door, she could certainly outrun grandpa. It was all just a matter of getting to said door without Gerard noticing.

"Oh I know a lot of things. Like how you've fallen in love with a werewolf. Touching story really but I'm afraid you don't get your fairytale ending." Gerard replied with a bitter chuckle.

"Who says I can't write my own ending?" Ariadne asked, continuing to cautiously and stealthily step towards the exit door. "With all due respect, you don't exactly look like a prize romance writer."

"I most certainly am not but I can definitely conjure up a good story as to why you suddenly disappeared." Gerard threatened, causing Ariadne to pause. "Once we kill Isaac it will be easy to explain your runaway. Two teenagers in love, forced apart by unforeseen circumstances. What other option do you have but to run away together?"

"Sounds dramatic. Personally I prefer romantic comedies." And that's when she was close enough to make her escape. Ariadne flew to the doors and threw her entire body weight into them, careening into the metal as they blew open. She stumbled a little as her momentum caught up to her but then she took off running towards the parking lot as fast as she could. She was barefoot and in a dress but even Ariadne was surprised at just how fast she could run from the danger behind her.

Coming around to the front of the building, Ariadne looked around for a safe route away or someone to help. But that five-second break she took to look around was long enough for two hunters to catch up to her. One grabbed her and tried to carry her away but she kicked her foot up right between his legs, slamming her foot into his genitals and making him squeal. When he doubled over in pain she raised her knee to his face. Those two moved definitely hurt her but all the fight training her father taught her was paying off as her taught instinct to fight was kicking in.

But unfortunately she was still just a five-foot-three teenage girl and soon enough she was subdued. She let out a long scream in terror before the second attacker plunged a syringe into her neck. Sodium Pentathol flowed through her veins and her legs gave way under her. Ariadne's vision began to fade as unconsciousness tried to consume her. She fell backwards onto the ground as her dizzy mind started to spin. The last thing she heard was the growl of a wolf.

Her vision was spotty and her understanding was even less consistent. It came in bits and pieces as Ariadne laid in the grass, trying to focus as Sodium Pentathol forced its way through her veins. She could hear a struggle and the sound of wolf howls and growls but she couldn't see anything for a while. Craning her neck and fluttering her eyelashes, Ariadne's vision finally allowed her to see a shape, a figure. At first she wasn't even sure it was a man and then she realized it probably wasn't. Isaac let out a fearsome growl as he viciously attacked the two men that had taken her down. She almost smiled at the thought of proving Gerard wrong. She would get her fairytale ending because even if Isaac wasn't the exact definition of a prince, he would save the day.

And then all of a sudden, Isaac's growl turned into the most horrifyingly pained yelp and his knees buckled. Convulsing wildly, Isaac fell over whimpering, his claws and fangs retracting until he was just a teenage boy again.

"Nine-hundred-thousand volts." Gerard's voice sounded again and Ariadne flinched involuntarily. Ariadne tried her best to move, try to force the Sodium Pentathol from incapacitating her but she was completely useless as she watched Isaac writhe on the ground in pain, a single tear slipping from her eye.

"Grab him!" Gerard yelled before walking away. Ariadne watched in horror as a few men picked up Isaac and threw him in the back of an SUV. She squinted her eyes through the drugs and the tears, trying to yell out to Isaac before the car drove away.


	20. Chapter 20

Author's Note: Here we go! I believe there will be 2-3 more chapters then I'll end it. I've had a few sequel ideas rolling around in my head but I'm not too sure; would you guys want a sequel? Let me know in the comments/reviews and I'll think about it.

**Review Reviews!**

**Sam0728: **Thanks! Our poor baby Isaac! I feel so bad for him...and unfortunately you won't know what happened until the next chapter :p

**DauntlessSocks: **Ikkkkkkk :o lol Thanks for your review!

**Anonymous1: **Thank you so much :) Hope you enjoy the chapter!

**Anonymous2: **Thank you for your review! Hope you enjoy chapter twenty :)

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"Ariadne! Ariadne!" The sound of a male voice calling her name alerted Ariadne and she struggled to regain consciousness. The Sodium Pentathol was just leaving her system but the little that remained was enough to keep her mind foggy. It felt like she was drowning, like she was being held underwater. All she could see was blackness but she managed to hear a few things around her. She listened carefully, forcing herself to momentarily forget the drowning sensation and focus on the sounds around her. There was a distinct rhythmic beeping. She counted the sounds and realized they matched the beating of her heart like in a hospital. Trying to take a deep breath, the smell of bleach and other chemicals assaulted Ariadne's senses and there was no doubt in her mind that she was in fact in a hospital.

"Ariadne!" Can you hear me?" the male voice called out again. She tried to zone in on the sound and figure out who it belonged to but it was too hard to do. So she just focused on regaining full consciousness to come back to the man calling her name.

Fluttering her eyes, Ariadne's vision came around blurry and inconsistent but better than blackness. A few things slowly came into focus but she didn't care, only tried to put a face to the voice by her bed.

"Hey there, kiddo. How you feeling?" He asked, resting a gentle hand on top of her head. She turned towards the sound and after a minute Mark's face came into view. She smiled a little as she looked up at his concerned and weary expression.

"I've been better," she grumbled, rolling her neck and hearing a satisfying pop as the tension was released. Slowly the rest of her system caught up with her and the memories of what had happened flooded her like a tidal wave.

Right on queue, Mark asked, "What happened tonight, Ariadne? You disappeared during dinner until someone found you outside unconscious in the parking lot."

Ariadne sighed as she rubbed the back of her hand against her eyes. "I went to the bathroom to take a break from dinner." she replied, avoiding the subject skillfully.

"So how did you end up in the parking lot?" Mark asked, confusion masking his face.

Ariadne looked about the room as she mumbled, "I ran into Isaac and Jackson...wait, who found me outside?"

"Some kid from your school. He carried you inside while you were still unconscious. I told him to wait around while we got you to the hospital but he disappeared." He replied seriously but got cutoff when his phone rang in his pocket. He angled himself towards the exit as he said, "I gotta take this. I'll send a doctor in after me to tell you what's up. Be right back,"

Ariadne just nodded and watched him move out of the room and close the door behind him. She looked around the room again, seeing her dress on a chair in the corner, a backpack underneath. Wiggling her toes, she assessed whether or not she could stand and took a chance. Throwing back the blanket and tossing her legs over the side of the bed, her toes touched the cool tile floor and she jumped a little. Testing her balance she almost fell over but somehow managed to make it over to the chair where she grabbed the backpack and unzipped the top. Fortunately someone had thought to bring regular clothes for her so she pulled out the pair of jeans and the black v-neck long-sleeve shirt. She probably only had a few minutes maximum before a doctor came in so she rushed to slip into the clothes and grab her cell phone off the nightstand. She found a pair of Tom's in the bottom of the bag and threw them on as well before prancing to the door and peeking down the hall. She didn't see anyone watching the room so she slipped out of the doorway and scurried down the hall. Mark was pacing the length of the waiting room while talking on his phone; Taylor was sitting next to him, still in her ball gown. Hiding behind a group of nurses, Ariadne scooted past them and got to the exit without anyone noticing. Pulling her phone out and dialing Erica's number, she only got the answering machine. She had to scroll through her contacts a bit before she found Boyd's number but upon dialing that, she also got the answering machine.

"Security to room 203. Security to room 203." A woman's voice called urgently through the PA system. Ariadne made a face as she recognized that as her room number and walked a bit faster. Her cell phone started to ring with Mark's worried call but she hit ignore and scampered out of the hospital and into the cool night air. Pulling her arms around her chest tightly, she continued to scroll through her contacts in search of someone who could help. Even though Derek said she could go to him if she wanted to know more she didn't have his number. Scott answered his cell phone even less often than Isaac and Erica, so she was out of luck.

Heading out of the hospital parking lot Ariadne watched a familiar blue Jeep roll to a stop at a red light just ahead. Smiling, she dashed across the street to where Stiles was waiting, scaring him half to death when she threw open the passenger side door.

"Stiles I need a ride." she said as she climbed inside just as the light turned green again. He stared at her with wide eyes for a minute before pulling away from the light. She retold everything that had happened as Stiles listened carefully to ever detail she could remember.

"So I guess it's safe to say Gerard knows you're dating Isaac now." Stiles mumbled sourly as he drove aimlessly. Ariadne nodded, trying to call Isaac and Erica again.

"Yeah I guess so. Now what are we going to do about getting Isaac back?" she asked, running a hand through her hair. Flipping the visor down she checked her reflection in the mirror and cringed. All the makeup she had on for the dinner was gone and her hair was even curlier than usual because of her up-do hairstyle that had since fallen out.

"I'm not sure...any idea as to where they'd take him?" Stiles asked but she shook her head. "Gerard has to have a reason for taking him so he's either gonna use him to find Derek or..."

"He's gonna kill him." Ariadne finished, the fear wrapping around her heart and choking her. The very thought of Isaac dying at the hands of these men made Ariadne sick to her stomach. But she didn't have too much time to dwell on it as her phone started to ring. She answered without even checking the number.

"I'm told you've made it out of the hospital." Gerard's voice called through the speaker and Ariadne's wild gasp almost made Stiles drive off the side of the road. "I honestly didn't expect so much from you. So far you've put up one hell of a fight. I like that. But I need one more thing from you."

"And what makes you think I'll do a damned thing you ask me to?" Ariadne snapped. She whispered to Stiles who was on the phone and the boy immediately leaned in closer to listen.

"Because if you don't do exactly as I tell you, I will rip Isaac in half." Gerard replied seriously. A lump rose in the back of Ariadne's throat at the mental image he provided. Sharing a loaded glance with Stiles, she found she couldn't come up with any kind of reply.

"So this is what you are going to do," Gerard continued after a minute of silence. "If you want to save Isaac you'll bring me Derek Hale otherwise I'll cut your boyfriend in half."

Ariadne gulped loudly before asking, "I don't know Derek, how am I supposed to..."

"Figure it out or else Isaac dies tonight. Make up your mind and meet me at the high school." Gerard snapped before hanging up the phone.

Ariadne stared at the blank screen on her cell phone, a blank expression on her face. Stiles was unusually quiet as well as they processed the information. Trying to formulate a plan was to come but Ariadne had to force the image of Isaac chopped in half out of her mind first.

"Take a left up here," she mumbled, pointing to a small dirt road ahead of them. Stiles paused for a second before taking the turn as she directed. She began to lead him in turn-by-turn directions all the while her phone vibrated in her lap.

"Hey there, Mark." She answered, holding the phone to her face. Stiles peeked at her out of the corner of his eye but continued to follow her directions. "I'm with Stiles...Stilinski...yeah as in the sheriff's son...no he didn't sneak me out...no I snuck out...it's kinda hard to explain...listen I need you to do me a favor...I need you to gather as many deputies as you can and bring them to the high school...cause it's really important...you want to know who drugged me? Cause they're gonna be at the school."

Stiles took the last turn Ariadne instructed and stopped the car. She quickly ended her conversation with Mark and headed into the subway station with Stiles. Upon opening the heavy metal doors, the sound of ferocious howling and growling assaulted Ariadne's senses and she paused. The sound was so horrendous and fearsome that Ariadne literally stopped walking for a minute. Stiles watched her carefully, taking her hand in his reassuringly. Taking in a deep breath, she continued onward.

"Derek!" She yelled as they entered the main subway room. She averted her eyes from the rattling and growling trolley car to the left and focused on Derek as he exited the car and approached her. "They got Isaac. Gerard and his guys jumped us at Taylor's dinner tonight. He says he'll kill Isaac if you don't turn yourself over to them..."

"I know," Derek cut in, causing Ariadne to fall silent. "Boyd came to me as soon as he got you to the hospital. I was just trying to reach Scott, but of course he's not answering his phone." He replied, tossing his cell phone aside angrily.

"That was Boyd?" Ariadne mumbled. "Mark is going to meet us at the school but they'll kill Isaac as soon as they hear the sirens." Ariadne continued.

"So you want a distraction." Derek replied, running a hand down his face. "I can do that, but _I'm gonna need Scott's help here_." He continued, looking pointedly at Stiles who rushed out of the room to call his best friend, hoping to have better luck than Derek.

Ariadne stared at the subway car with curious yet terrified eyes. She'd never seen her best friends so out of control and quite frankly it wasn't pleasant Derek was watching her just as carefully as she was watching the car. "How come you're not going berserk?" she asked quietly.

"I have an anchor- something to keep my human side in check." Derek replied fluently, just staring her down.

She was silent for a minute longer before asking the question that was really haunting her. "Does Isaac have an anchor?" To say it was a relief to see Derek nod was a major understatement. There was no way Ariadne could handle it if Isaac went crazy like Erica and Boyd were. "They don't?" she asked.

Derek shook his head, still watching her carefully as he said, "No, Boyd barely kept it together long enough to get you to the hospital." He looked about ready to say something further but Stiles returned and he clamped his mouth shut.

"Scott's on his way but you're never gonna beat Mark to the school, you gotta get out of here." Stiles said as he rushed back into the room.

"I can't exactly leave right now." Derek bit sourly, gesturing towards the rocking subway car full of uncontrolled werewolves.

"I'll stay," Stiles immediately said and when Derek began to protest he spoke over him. "They're tied down and Scott's on his way. I've been through a few Beacon Hills full moons I can handle it. Just get out of here and tell Gerard to stick it where the sun don't shine."

Derek stared at Stiles for an everlasting minutes. Ariadne couldn't tell exactly what his expression meant but all she knew was it was intense and Stiles mimicked it perfectly. Finally, and with a sigh, Derek agreed. Grabbing his leather jacket off a nearby bench, Derek didn't say another word before walking away angrily. Ariadne quickly went to follow, throwing a very gracious 'thank you' to Stiles as she kissed his cheek.

Hopping into Derek's Camaro, Ariadne requested they make a quick stop along the way. Derek grumbled unintelligible curses under his breath but turned down Ariadne's street and up her driveway. "Give me two minutes," she said as she dove out of the car and raced into the house.

Upstairs in Ariadne's closet she had a shoe box tied shut with brown string. Getting it down was harder than she thought but when she dumped the contents on her bed, she was glad she kept the items. Since she was a kid Ariadne regularly attended Mixed Martial Arts classes but when she was twelve she asked her dad to take her to the shooting range and he gladly obliged. Since then she's shot all kinds of guns from semiautomatics to shotguns to revolvers. But of course she couldn't legally own a weapon until her twenty-first birthday so until then her father got her a stun gun. She would've preferred a real gun or a cross bow but she'd make due with what she had. Tossing the empty box aside, she tucked the taser into the waistband of her jeans and grabbed a pocketknife, tucking it in her back pocket, and rushed back downstairs and back out to Derek's car.

They drove in silence the rest of the way to the school, whether because of tension or because they were both lost in separate thoughts didn't matter. It wasn't really awkward though; they both had bigger things to worry about. Eventually Derek pulled the Camaro into a parking space in the back of the school lot. Taking in a deep breath, Derek could smell the hunters inside.

"Gerard and his men are in the front hall." he said then sniffed again. "But Isaac isn't with them...he's somewhere...on the other side of the school..."

"Like the locker rooms?" Ariadne asked and Derek nodded. They shared a glance before getting out of the car. "I'll get Isaac, you distract Gerard. Oh and Derek...don't get killed." she said as they headed in different directions. Derek just nodded and jogged towards the front of the school while Ariadne took off running towards the locker rooms.

The backdoor had a crack along the handle that made jimmying it open easy so Ariadne slipped through with little effort. The whole school was pitch black, making visibility closer to nothing. Without a flashlight or werewolf senses, Ariadne was left to feel her way around the hallways. Her sneaker caught on a tile and she stumbled a little but she regained her footing just as the lights flickered. They didn't turn on, just flickered for a second like someone was messing with the electricity. She didn't question it and just used the second of light to navigate her way closer to the locker rooms. The boy's locker room door came into view and she sucked in a quiet deep breath. Her heart was pounding furiously against her chest as she took a few steps closer to the door, her hands shaking. She could hear something humming inside, like a generator or electricity box. There were also two male voices similar to the voices of the men who attacked her. Pulling the stun gun from her waistband Ariadne sucked in a deep breath, stealing herself for what she had to do then pushed open the locker room door.

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Author's Note: oh man do I love cliffhangers :p lol Sorry to make you wait another five days for chapter twenty-one! But in the meantime, you can check out the Polyvore set for this chapter titled Fight for Love under the username Samitballi. You can also follow me on Twitter ( samitballi) and on Tumblr (samitballi. tumblr. com) Thanks for reading and don't forget to let me know in the comments what you think of the story and if you want a sequel :)


	21. Chapter 21

Author's Note: Originally I was going to include an action scene at the beginning of this chapter, but I decided against it so we could switch to Isaac's POV and see what he saw. Unfortunately we only have one more chapter left :( I've been thinking really hard about a sequel but I'm still not too sure. I've written the ending so that way it's open to a sequel if I want to add one but I still don't really know as of right now._  
_

_No Polyvore set for this chapter_. It's all pretty much been the same outfit for the last few chapters lol There is a set for the final chapter though!

**Review Reviews!**

**Sam0728: **Thanks! Glad you like kickbutt Ariadne :) I love the idea of her being a tough cookie under that girlie exterior lol

**ispy239: **Thank you so much! Sounds like an interesting story idea; I think you should definitely post it! The world is always open to new talent and new ideas :)

**Megan Elaine9: **Oh bejesus that's sweet ;) haha. Thank you!

**DauntlessSocks: **I'm still considering it...is there anything you would like to see from a sequel?

**Anonymous: **Thank you very much :) There is non-explicit sex in the next chapter but it's not really too detailed. It was one of the first things I wrote for this story but I wanted to hold off until the end to add it.

I must give a huge thank you to everyone who's read this story! It really means so stinking much to me that you guys like what I've created. As a writer and reader I can't imagine a bigger compliment than ya'll taking your time out to read my story. So thank you very much! And if you have any ideas about a sequel be sure to let me know! If I could figure out a plot of a sequel I'll definitely do one :)

Enjoy!

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The boy's locker room door came into view and she sucked in a quiet deep breath. Her heart was pounding furiously against her chest as she took a few steps closer to the door, her hands shaking. She could hear something humming inside, like a generator or electricity box. There were also two male voices similar to the voices of the men who attacked her. Pulling the stun gun from her waistband Ariadne sucked in a deep breath, stealing herself for what she had to do then pushed open the locker room door.

The sound of the locker room door opening got the attention of the two hunters keeping a close eye on Isaac. Or at least that's what they were supposed to be doing. In reality they were just messing with the boy, frequently changing the voltage of the wires around his wrists. He was bound at the wrists by tape and electrical wires that were suspended by the rafters above him. Isaac wasn't too sure at what level the voltage had reached but it was enough to keep him human and keep him in constant pain. At first he tried wiggling free at any chance he got but he quickly gave up on that endeavored seeing as the movements only made the shock worse. There was a level of humiliation to the torture considering he was shirtless, still in his dress pants, and completely incapable of fighting back. Hanging his head, Isaac just wished Derek would sense he was in trouble and help.

A quiet gasp brought Isaac's head upward again only to come face to face with Ariadne. She was standing a few feet away, a hand covering her mouth as she looked upon him. Isaac blinked a few times, wondering if maybe he was dreaming. No way was she really there, having fought off two hunters, just to save him. Ariadne was a lot of things but he couldn't believe she'd be so stupid as to come after him.

"Ariadne?" Isaac whispered, his voice cracking as he studied her. If it was a dream, his image of her was spot on.

"Hold on, Isaac, I'm gonna get you down." She replied urgently. Scurrying over to the electrical box, she studied the controls for a moment, making sure she didn't turn up the voltage by mistake. Finally she reached out a shaky hand and flicked a few switched and turned down the knob, hearing the sound of the electricity leave the wires around Isaac's wrists. She immediately went to his side but couldn't reach the restraints without standing on a bench. When she cut him lose with a pocketknife from her jeans, Isaac's legs caved and he would've fallen over if she hadn't caught him.

"You're real?" he asked in a broken whisper as he laid in her arms. She chuckled a little as she let his weight carry them to the floor where she sat his torso on her lap and smoothed his unruly and sweaty curls.

"Of course I'm real," she replied softly.

Isaac could literally feel the strength coming back to him as he laid in her arms. He could move better and his voice wasn't so broken when he spoke again. "I thought I was dreaming." He said, shuffling to sit upright on the floor beside her, leaning against a locker.

Ariadne smiled a little as she ran a hand down the side of his face. "You're not dreaming, I'm right here, you're safe." She told him gently, resting her palm against his cheek. He was hot and clammy but the color was already coming back to his skin. She really didn't want to know all that they'd done to him but whatever it was, the aftereffects were no match for his werewolf healing.

"I panicked when I heard you scream," Isaac said, shaking his head as he remembered the horrified sound. "I guess you could say I hulked out. I totally lost control, I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing, Isaac? You saved my life," she told him honestly, scooting closer to him.

"I never wanted you to be apart of this, I never wanted you to get hurt. I'm so sorry I brought this on you, Ariadne. I promise I'll leave you al…" Isaac was in the middle of saying when Ariadne grabbed his face and kissed him hard on the lips. He was so taken back by the suddenness of the kiss that he didn't even kiss her back before she pulled away.

"Why'd you do that?" he asked curiously, their faces just a few inches apart.

"Because of all that stuff you said at the subway station about being alone. For me, nothing's really been the same since my mom left. I have my dad, and he's great, but he's also gone eleven months out of the year. I've always felt incredibly alone in life until I came here. I met you and I made friends here…and literally everything changed. And now I wake up happy because I've got you around to help me through the tough times. I don't think that by loving me, suddenly all of your pain is going to go away. But I just thought that maybe…we could be alone together." she replied softly, blushing.

Ariadne looked up at Isaac with tears in her eyes and a small sad smile. He looked back at her evenly, unsure of what to say. In every movie he'd seen, every book he'd read and every song he'd heard, Isaac Lahey had never in his life heard more powerful words. _Alone together_. An oxymoron if there ever was one, but it made sense. Because loving each other wouldn't make up for the losses they'd suffered and loving each other wouldn't suddenly make every bad thing go away. But at least they could face their demons together, side-by-side, holding hands, there for each other the whole way.

Ariadne just collapsed into Isaac's arms, her soft head falling to his chest as he wound his arms around her. He couldn't help but grab her tightly in his arms, squeezing her body closer to his, trying to connect her body to his so they could be one. He held fast to her body, his chin resting on the top of her head as tears pricked in his eyes; the emotions hitting him hard.

Ariadne pulled back after a minute so she could look up at him, her cheeks stained with tears and her nose red. "I don't know what the hell is going on but I want to help. Whatever happened tonight, you could've died. I want to know more, I want to be a part of this…do I? Yes, I want to be a part of this." She said with a chuckle. Isaac laughed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"It's dangerous you know," he said seriously, looking her in the eye. Ariadne took in a deep breath, fiddling with the collar of his shirt.

She slowly started to nod. "I know. But I have you to protect me." She whispered with that same small sad smile on her lips. Isaac couldn't help but reach down and bring his lips to hers and kiss away the sadness in that smile.

"I promise I will," he said as he kissed her. With his hands on her cheeks, Isaac could feel the saltwater tears streaming from her eyes. When they pulled away she sniffled and hiccupped at the same time and Isaac smiled, wiping the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs.

"We should get out of here." He said, grabbing her hand. She pulled up to his feet before handing him the white button up from the floor. He slid into the shirt and buttoned a few buttons before grabbing Ariadne's hand and intertwining their fingers. Isaac guided them down the dark and creepy hallways with ease, his senses taking over.

"I can't see a thing!" Ariadne grumbled as she stumbled along beside him through a pitch-black corridor. There were no windows in that part of the school but Isaac's steps were confident as he led her through. Ariadne's shoe caught on an uneven tile and she stumbled forward, landing on her knees. She swore quietly under her breath as she brushed the dirt from her jeans.

Unable to see a thing, Ariadne didn't expect to feel Isaac's arms wrap around her until he'd done so. "Come here," he said as he picked her up bridal style. "We'll be out in a minute."

Ariadne smiled as Isaac carried her down the hallway. She just rested her head against his shoulder and sighed. "If you're the one who's constantly going to save me, than what am I going to do?" she asked the darkness she only saw.

"You're going to keep me human." Isaac said matter-of-factly. "My father is my anchor, but you get to be my savior. You'll be the voice or the heartbeat that brings me back."

Just as Isaac finished his sentence they pushed through a pair of double doors into the moonlight and Ariadne could see he was smiling. She stared at his silver eyes, amazed at how much light they could hold after all the darkness he'd seen. She smiled back at him.

"That sounds like a lot of work." She said with a chuckle. Isaac smiled as he put her feet back on the ground. They started to make their way through the parking lot just as Derek appeared a little further down the school.

"I see you made it out alive." Ariadne said as they approached each other. He was in shambles and a little bloodier than before but he was alive and she was grateful for that.

"Mark has good timing," Derek replied curtly before gesturing towards the car. "We need to get the hell out of here."

Ariadne followed the boys to the Camaro but didn't climb inside. "Go ahead, I'll check in later, I think Mark deserves some sort of explanation." She said through the open passenger side window.

"What are you gonna tell him?" Isaac asked but Ariadne just shrugged.

"I'm just gonna make it up as I go…" she mumbled timidly, apprehension working its way into her voice.

"Hey, wait," Isaac shouted as she went to walk away. Hopping out of the car, he rushed to catch up with her. "Don't hold this against Erica. I know you're still hurt and it was terrible of us to lie to you. But it's my fault, honestly. I wanted to be the one to tell you the truth and I kind of made her promise not to tell you. She needs you, Ariadne, you're one of her only friends and she really cherishes that." he said when he caught up to her. Ariadne listened, nodding a little.

"I'm not really mad anymore, actually. Considering the size of the secret…I guess I understand why you guys kept it from me. I'll call you tomorrow morning and we can all talk everything out. But right now you gotta get the hell out of here." She replied. Isaac just smiled as he leaned down to kiss the tip of her nose.

"I love you," he whispered with a smile.

"I love you too," she replied, holding onto Isaac's hand as long as possible until he turned away and their fingers slid apart.

XXX

"It just doesn't make sense, Mark." Taylor snapped in a low voice. Ariadne was down the hall in her room sleeping off the _eventful_ day. "Why would she ask you to the school to catch the guys who attacked her if she wasn't going to press charges?"

"You heard her, Taylor, it was a misunderstanding. Am I concerned? Absolutely. But she doesn't want to talk about it and I think we need to respect that." Mark replied as he turned down their bed and changed into his pajamas.

"You're seriously just going to let this go?" Taylor asked, her mouth agape as she stared at her husband with wide eyes.

Mark sighed as he fell to the bed next to Taylor. "I don't know," he grumbled, running a hand down his face. "I don't particularly want to let it go; these people attacked her! But we had a small talk tonight…and I don't know…if you could've seen the conviction in her eyes. She just wants to handle this herself."

"She's just a child! She can't handle this herself she's only sixteen. We have to handle this for her, she can't do this on her own." Taylor replied, pinching the bridge of her nose. "This isn't some casual high school misunderstanding, Mark, this is serious. She was drugged and hospitalized. This is the exact kind of situation _we_ need to handle."

Mark sighed again, laying down next to his wife with heavy eyelids. "Well there's nothing we can do tonight. I'll talk to her again in the morning." He said, pacifying Taylor enough for them to turn out the lights. But Mark couldn't fall asleep, couldn't close his eyes long enough to actually pass out. And he wasn't the only one in the house exhausted but unable to sleep.

Maybe it was adrenalin or maybe fear that kept Ariadne wide awake when she should've been asleep. She just laid in bed on top of her comforter, her hands clasped together on her chest, her eyes trained on the ceiling. Her ceiling fan was slowly oscillating but there was no breeze to fill the room it was dead still. Getting up, Ariadne found her iPod and her headphones and turned it on, letting the soft piano sounds of Chopin cut the eerie silence throughout the house. She laid back down with music playing softly in her ears. As she rolled onto her side, another hour of sleeplessness passing uneventfully, the only thing Ariadne could think of was Isaac. She was honestly surprised her thoughts didn't immediately flit to his fearsome werewolf form but rather to his warmth. That's what she needed, Isaac's strong and warm arms around her as they cuddled close. She needed him there beside her to help her fall asleep. Despite all the lies and the lycanthrope, what Ariadne really needed was Isaac. The boy she loved.


	22. The End

Author's Note: Final chapter! :( I'm so sad to see this story end but it had to happen eventually. I still haven't decided if I'll do a sequel or not but if I do decide to write one, I'll add a chapter to this story informing you guys where to find it :)

You can check out Ariadne's outfit in the beginning of this chapter as well as Erica's on my Polyvore (samitballi. polyvore. com) under the title No More Fighting.

I can't express how thankful I am for every single reader! You all mean so much to me it's crazy. Honestly, I really didn't know how well this story would be received. Especially with most of the fandom jumping on the "Scisaac" ship right away lol I wasn't too sure people wanted to see Isaac with a chick. But I posted this story anyway, with low expectations, and have since been blown away. I cannot thank you enough! :)

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Now enjoy the final chapter! :)

* * *

"Are we really gonna have this conversation?" Ariadne asked with a sigh as she sat on the top of Derek's Camaro, her feet pulled up on the hood so she was sitting Indian style. Isaac, Erica, Boyd, Scott, Stiles and Derek were all around her, ready to explain everything but she'd changed her mind. Suddenly she didn't want to have the life altering conversation about werewolves and hunters and all the shit Beacon Hills had to offer.

"Yes we're going to have this conversation. If you want to help you gotta know what's going on." Isaac replied, crossing his arms over his chest. Of course he'd rather not talk to his girlfriend about the gory details of his wolvlihood but if she wanted in she had to be one hundred percent in. So she sighed and gestured for them to begin and one by one they told her everything.

Scott started off by telling her all about his bite in the woods and how he became what he is today. They told her about Derek and a little of his past- like the burning of his family and Kate's part in it. Erica talked to her about her epilepsy and how lycanthrope healed her. They paused a second before telling her what Jackson had become but they told her anyway. She almost slid off the car when they told her the truth, especially considering she'd spent so much time with the boy. But she had to come to terms with it so she did, even if she couldn't quite wrap her mind around it. And when they were finally finished telling her everything she needed to know, Ariadne fell backwards against the car; her head hitting the hood with a muted thud.

"Alright, that's enough. I don't think I'm physically capable of retaining any more information." She grumbled, rubbing her hands down her face. Erica slid up on top of the car beside her and motioned for everyone else to give them some space. So everyone filtered away until Erica and Ariadne were left alone- or at least relatively alone.

"So I really hate fighting with you." Erica mumbled, fiddling with the sequins on her shirt. Despite wanting to wear sweats and a baggy tee shirt, Erica donned black skinny jeans, a black tank top with a pink sequin cross and black high heels. Her black leather jacket was hanging off Derek's side-view mirror beside her and she'd attempted to pull her hair into a bun at the nape of her neck the way Ariadne often did but she'd failed and most of it was falling out.

Ariadne turned her head towards Erica, smiling a little as she agreed. She noticed the chunks of hair falling out of Erica's bun and scooted closer to her best friend, mumbling, "Here let me fix it. You have to braid your fringe back into the bun." as she untwisted Erica's hair and began braiding and redoing the hairstyle.

"Does this mean we're done fighting? Cause I'd really like that." Erica said with a chuckle as she let Ariadne fix her hair. Ariadne laughed a little as she finished up the hairstyle and scooted back into her spot on the car. The two girls couldn't look more different if they tried. Ariadne was wearing a grey skirt with black ballet flats and a white long sleeve shirt, a black sweater overtop to keep her warm as the wind chill kicked up that morning. Her hair was down in lose ebony curls, falling past her shoulders and just skimming the top of her waist. Ariadne looked dainty and girly whereas Erica looked tough and guarded. Though both girls were resilient and strong, only one liked to show it. But they made a fine pair and together they were something of a force to be reckoned with.

"We're not done fighting until I get back that Paramore CD you borrowed two months ago." Ariadne teased, bumping shoulders with Erica who chuckled. "Hey, seriously though, can we not fight like that anymore? Cause its really not fun watching you cry."

"Oh I didn't cry!" Erica complained, rolling her eyes dramatically.

"Oh yes you did! You cried like a baby because your best friend was mad at you and you couldn't stand it." Ariadne mocked playfully, throwing her arms around Erica's neck in an awkward side hug.

"Alright, alright I may have cried a little but I'm blaming that on the full moon and I'll talk that story to my grave." Erica snapped, chuckling as she leaned against Ariadne's playful hug.

"It's nice to see you two finally reunited," Isaac mumbled with a smile as he came back into the room. He had his hands tucked far into his pockets and a smile on his face as he shuffled his weight from foot to foot. "But is there any chance I could steal a minute with Ariadne?"

Erica slid off the Camaro gracefully but stopped to grab Ariadne's hand for a second, saying, "I'm glad you're in the know…I like having you around." seriously.

Ariadne smiled as she squeezed Erica's fingers. "I like being around," she replied and watched Erica leave the room. Ariadne scooted off the car and walked over to Isaac, smiling as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "Something wrong?" she asked, looking up at him as he played with a few strands of her curly hair.

"I'm just trying to figure out where we go from here." He mumbled quietly. Laying her head against his chest, Ariadne leaned into him and let him support both of their weight. He wrapped his arms around her as he said, "I'm not entirely sure what comes next for us."

"Can't we just be in love and that be the end of it?" Ariadne asked, looking up at him from under her eyelashes. "We have school and all this werewolf crap to deal with; why don't we keep out relationship easy?"

"Can we do that?" Isaac asked with a chuckle. "Is it possible for a werewolf and a girl to be in love without there being any trouble?"

Ariadne chuckled as she shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know but I'm willing to find out if you are."

Isaac smiled, framing her face with his hands as he said, "Oh I am certainly willing."

XXX

Over the course of the next few weeks things went from awkward and weird to relatively calm. Taylor was still convinced they needed to press charges and file reports and all that nonsense but Ariadne was sticking to her guns. She didn't want this to involve the sheriff's department- for her sake as well as Mark's, Sheriff Stilinski and Stiles. It was difficult to explain her feelings without letting the wolf out of the bag and that drove a little wedge between Ariadne and Taylor. Mark was distressed but willing to let her handle it on her own and Ariadne was grateful for that. But Taylor was constantly bringing it up in conversation and nightly dinners got real awkward real fast. Erica started dragging Ariadne out of the house conveniently right around dinner time every night so Ariadne could get out of the weird dinners. She had to be home a few nights a week but for the most part she spent all her time with the pack.

Her relationship with Boyd had grown exponentially and she found she really enjoyed his company. Boyd was really smart for a kid of his age but she had a feeling that had a lot to do with his home life- which she learned wasn't too great. That was the common denominator amongst the pack; they all had a past of messed up families. Derek's entire family was dead, Erica's really couldn't care less about her and frequently ignore her, Isaac's dad beat the crap out of him, Boyd's parents split when he was young and moved to two opposite ends of the country so he lived with his grandma, and Ariadne's mother left when she was a kid and her father currently had a gun strapped to his waist as he trudged through Iraq with his platoon. It was nice to have a common entity between them.

For the most part Erica was over Stiles. She and Boyd had one of those awkward relationships where the only people to ever see them kiss or even touch was Ariadne. For some reason they felt comfortable around her and she didn't mind their lovey-dovey moments. She probably owed Erica that much considering all the mushy crap she had to watch Isaac and Ariadne do and say to each other. Which had only gotten worse since that night at the school.

Isaac and Ariadne were all over each other all the time. Before during and after school every day they were all tangled up in each other's arms. The found out quickly that Mark and Taylor never checked on Ariadne at night or in the morning before they left for work, so Isaac could spent the night with Ariadne every few days. They didn't make it a nightly thing because of the risk but Ariadne secretly wished they could. Curling up to Isaac's warm chest was just about the only way she could fall asleep anymore. But they still hadn't actually had sex yet. Erica complained every time it was brought up in conversation.

"Tap that, dumbass!" she'd shout at Isaac until he was literally the color of a tomato. The couple told Erica time and time again that they wanted it to be special and they wanted to be ready for it but she didn't care. She just couldn't understand two people so in love and so beautiful not screwing each other. That was just beyond her comprehension.

Even though Isaac and Ariadne brushed Erica's comments off with an embarrassed smile, the pressure she enforced did make them think about it a little more. They never really discussed it but a few weeks after the night at the school, Ariadne got to thinking. She was helping Mark load his SUV with the few bags he'd packed so he could go along with Taylor on a business thing. They were going to be gone all night and most of the following day and she had the whole house to herself. If that doesn't make a teenager in love think about sex nothing will.

"Are you sure you're okay with this? Cause if not I can always…" Mark started to ask for the hundredth time when Ariadne cut him off.

"I swear I'll be fine. One night here alone won't kill me. I'll probably get my extra homework done and go to bed early." She replied, surprisingly convincing. "In fact, you guys should take an extra night. When's the last time you guys had a date night?"

Mark and Taylor exchanged a long glance and Mark mumbled, "Does the honeymoon count?"

"You _definitely_ need to take a date night. I can fend for myself just fine." Ariadne swore with a wide smile. Taylor threw her last bag in the car and opened the passenger door. Mark was all for the idea of a little getaway but they were both concerned about leaving Ariadne alone for the weekend. But after everything that had happened they could all use a bit of a break.

"I'll text you when we get there!" Taylor promised as Mark started the engine.

"Have fun; be safe." Ariadne shouted as they pulled down the drive, waving. She watched them pull out of sight before slowly walking back through the front door and closing it behind her. She took a second to lock the deadbolt before she herself bolted through the kitchen to the backdoor. Throwing the door open, Isaac immediately walked through and kissed her.

Ariadne smiled into the kiss as they stumbled backwards into the kitchen counter, fumbling to keep their lips connected. Isaac wove his fingers in her hair as he kissed her hard on the mouth and she wrapped her arms around his waist. "Close the door," she mumbled between kisses. Isaac somehow managed to keep one hand on her hip as he reached over and slammed the backdoor shut.

"Where did Mark and Taylor go?" he asked against the skin of her neck as he kissed her there. Ariadne leaned her head backwards, her hands in his hair, as he gently kissed the sensitive skin from her ear to her collarbone.

"…Work function…then…date night…" Ariadne whispered distractedly as Isaac sent all kinds of pleasure waves coursing through her body. He looked back at her with mischief in his perfect silver colored eyes.

"So they're gone for the weekend, huh?" he said and Ariadne smiled, biting her bottom lip and nodding. "That means you're here all alone for two whole days?" Isaac exclaimed with mock horror and Ariadne giggled. "Well that's not good. Something bad could happen to you. I think maybe I should stay here with you; just to make sure nothing…_bad_ happens." He said playfully and Ariadne bounced her head up and down in agreement.

"We wouldn't want anything," Ariadne whispered, kissing his neck. "_Bad_ to happen."

"Nope," he replied, a little breathless. "Only _good_."

Ariadne smiled as a shiver ran down Isaac's spine because of her kisses. Her lips were light against his skin; like the faint touch of a feather caressing his neck. As she kissed him, Isaac let his hands wonder over her body a bit. She was wearing tight little yoga shorts and a t-shirt and Isaac could feel the heat from her skin through the thin fabric as he slid his hands up and down her sides. Ariadne shivered when just the tip of his long fingers slipped under her shirt and lightly touched her hot skin. Just then, he wrapped his fingers around her hips and hoisted her onto the counter. She immediately wrapped her legs around his waist as their lips touched again. Tangling her hands in his hair, she tried to pull herself closer even though they seemed impossibly close already.

"Why don't we," Ariadne said, breaking the kiss for air. "Go upstairs." She looked into his eyes with a slightly self-conscious smile as she offered to _go there_. He smiled back at her as he tucked a lose strand of her ebony hair behind her ear. He gently placed her feet back on the ground and led her up the stairs by the hand. Once they were inside Ariadne's bedroom, she closed the door and their lips connected again, this time in passion.

Ariadne wasn't even aware they were moving until her back almost violently collided with the back of the door and Isaac used his own body to pin her against the wood. Clutching desperately to the hem of his shirt, Ariadne craved more. The thin piece of fabric was gone in a second, tossed to her floor in a pile by her desk. Instantaneously, she began to run her fingers across his skin, marveling at how soft, smooth and warm he felt against her fingers. Isaac kissed her neck as she ran her fingers over his chest, loving the spark of pleasure their intermingled bodies created. Isaac leaned back and slowly slid the t-shirt off Ariadne. He kissed and caressed every patch of exposed skin, earning a small moan from Ariadne's lips.

They stumbled backwards until Ariadne's calves hit her bed frame and they fell on top of her mattress. Isaac immediately started to kiss a trail from her neck to her navel, lacing their fingers together in the process. Ariadne arched her back, her eyes sliding shut as she let out a little giggle. Isaac smiled up at her as he hooked his fingers in the top of her shorts and slowly began to slide them down her legs, kissing her thighs as the fabric passed over them. As he tossed her shorts to the floor, Ariadne flipped them over so she was on top and smiled. She looked down at him, need burning in her eyes, before they kissed deeply.

She slowly kissed and licked her way down his chest, loving the little sounds he would make. Isaac had an impressively muscular body that fit perfectly against Ariadne's. Every curve of her skin matched his perfectly and every touch caused a surge of ecstasy throughout both of their mingled bodies. She undid his jeans and pulled them away from his skin, tossing them on the floor with the rest of their clothes. Making her way back up his body, Ariadne laced their fingers together and held his hand, kissing his lips. With his free hand, Isaac reached behind her back and unclasped her bra. It wasn't long at all until they rolled back over so Isaac was on top. And he wasted no time before his lips found her skin again.

Ariadne moaned as Isaac's lips found the soft and tender skin of her breasts and began to kiss them. She never knew that anything could feel so wonderful and she was glad to be spending that moment with Isaac. She wouldn't want anyone else besides him in that moment. And when Isaac slid her panties down her legs, she had no regrets whatsoever. Because even though she knew his secret and even though things were incredibly complicated, she loved him. It hadn't taken long at all and it happened without her even knowing it, but it was true. She loved him. She was in love with him and more so than anyone else in her life. Sure she'd had boyfriends and flings over the years, but she'd never loved anyone the way that she loved Isaac. And she knew just by looking into his silver eyes that he loved her the same.

Isaac looked her in the eye, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Do you want to stop?" he asked seriously even though both of their clothes littered the floor and they'd already gone further than either intended. But as she looked at him, she saw something special in his eyes. Something so genuine and none judgmental that convinced her the choice was truly up to her. She could say stop and Isaac would back away with no resentment or fuss. Or she could shake her head and keep going knowing that Isaac cared for her. It was truly up to her. No matter what, whether they went through with their actions or not, Isaac would still be there. He'd still love her.

Ariadne hadn't intended to let a tear slip from her eye but it did and Isaac caught it with the tip of his finger. "What's wrong?" he asked tenderly as he cradled her face in his hand.

"You're the best thing that's happened to me in a really long time, Isaac Lahey." She said, feeling silly but not really caring too much. Isaac smiled his beautiful and adorable wide grin.

"You're pretty special yourself." He told her, winking with a smile and reaching down to kiss her lips. She wove her fingers in his hair, holding tightly to him as he rocked his hips into hers for the first time. Ariadne let out a breathy gasp as Isaac began to kiss her neck and rock his hips back and forth. She unintentionally dug her nails into the skin of his back but Isaac barely noticed. He looked her in the eye as they moved together, sweat dewing on the back of his neck until it began to drip down his spine.

The bed made a squeaking noise and there was some sort of bird right outside the window chirping incessantly, but neither Isaac nor Ariadne cared. They just spent the next half hour adoring each other and when they were done, Ariadne curled into Isaac's arms comfortably and began to drift off to sleep. It was easy to forget the rest of the world when your entire world lay in your arms. So Isaac tucked her sleeping body closer to his and closed his eyes, content in that moment to just be with her and love her. They'd figure out tomorrow when it arrived; but for the time being, they'd just spend their time together, because they were literally living a dream. And that was enough for now.


End file.
